New Romantics
by NightsLightss
Summary: a collection of one shots based on various AU's from around the internet.
1. Chapter 1

(_my boss is always telling me how perfect his daughter is and he promises she's coming to the next holiday party and don't worry she's heard all about me too and ALSO there's this girl i slept with once a couple of months ago and sometimes she still sends me nudes when i ask her to at 3 in the morning cause seriously girl's got a bangin' bod' AU_)

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><p><strong>I'm bored and horny, help me out?<strong>

Alex trailed her fingers across her skin, lightly teasing herself, as she waited for the young blonde's reply. She didn't figure she'd have to wait too long, Piper was usually pretty timely with her 3 AM Not-Quite-A-Booty-Call-But-Help-Get-Me-Off-Right-Now responses.

.

They'd technically only slept together once, after stumbling upon each other at a party several months prior, then spending the next 8 hours getting lost in one another. But somewhere between the party, the sex, and the lazy morning after spent rolling around Alex's apartment they'd realized they kind of enjoyed each other's company. Piper had been entering her number into the older woman's phone when she noticed the snapchat app and took the liberty of adding herself in there too.

Their following arrangement began on an almost accidental impulse, never really planned or intended, but once it began neither really saw a point in stopping it.

Alex had just gotten in from a rather long and grueling business trip, collapsing heavily onto her bed before pulling out her phone and shooting off a quick message to the blonde.

**you wouldn't happen to be in town tonight would you?**

She knew the blonde wouldn't be before she even sent the message, of course. She'd hardly been expecting a reply at all, was mostly just letting the girl know she was back in town. Their conversations were always a bit limited when Alex was out of the country.

**sadly I am not.**

**is someone feeling lonely?**

She'd found herself chuckling at the playful teasing.

**yes. it has been a LONG week.**

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she buried her face in her pillows, too tired to move from the inviting warmth seeping into her, completely prepared to fall asleep right where she was, still fully dressed.

**can't find anyone to keep your bed warm? :(**

She narrowed her eyes playfully at the younger woman's cheeky goading, slowly tapping out a reply.

**ugh. too much work. so tired. can't… move…**

She'd been flirting with the edges of sleep when her phone chimed again.

**SNAPCHAT FROM PIPER**

Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, it had been safe to say Alex Vause's sleep-hazed mind was in no way prepared for the image that greeted her upon opening the app.

She had't complained though, and thus began their strange ritual. Anytime Alex felt the need for release in the early hours of the far off morning Piper would gladly provide a snap or two to her imploring texts. Whenever Alex got in from a tiring business trip and couldn't muster up the energy to wander out in search of live prey Piper would readily help with an easy release.

.

Her thumb was absently scrolling through her emails when the phone vibrated with a soft *ding!*

**SNAPCHAT FROM PIPER**

A coy grin slid across her face as her thumb hovered over the notification for a second before pressing down and bringing up the app. Holding her finger over the little red box, Alex could barely suppress the soft moan that slipped from her lips at the image that blinked onto her screen.

Skin. Lots of skin. Black bra, pink trim, smooth stomach, sharp hips. The slightest hint of a matching pair of panties stretching low across those hips as they dipped deliciously out of the frame. She was lying in a white bed, the lights were low, but not dark. Bold white letters stood out loudly across the middle of the image.

**HOW'S THIS?**

Her eyes drank in the picture before her as the final seconds ran out and it slipped from her screen. Heaving a quiet sigh, she thumbed her text messages back open.

**mmm… almost. lose the bra and panties.**

Her touches became a little firmer as she waited for the blonde's response, immediately swiping the app open when her phone chimed again in her hand.

**BETTER?**

She paid the white lettering the barest flick of attention as her eyes hungrily drank in the newest image. The pink and black bra now discarded somewhere out of frame, a tantalizing soft dip of newly exposed skin disappearing off the angular hips at the edge of the image.

Alex bit her lip as she saved the image to her phone, the lazily waning timer running slowly out. Her thumbs tapped out one more message to the blonde before preparing to focus on the original task at hand.

**much.**

She'd barely begun to lose herself in the sensation when another message from the blonde came through.

**delete that when you're finished.**

**you won't need it.**

Intrigued by the blonde's uncharacteristic order she once again paused in her ministrations to study the small grey bubbles.

**okay?**

Her fingers absently traced illegible designs across her stomach, occasionally dipping across her hips, as she waited for the younger woman to elaborate.

**I'm coming home for Christmas in a few days.**

She couldn't stop the grin that broke across her face at the blonde's announcement. (She had no problem allowing it to become a smirk though, at the following text message.)

**and I'm collecting payment for all these little late night sessions I've helped you with.**

Biting back another grin, she quickly tapped out a response before leaving the blonde to what was left of her night.

**mmm. Merry Christmas to me…**

Her phone buzzed with one final notification, and as she opened snapchat to a picture of the still topless blonde (this time staring wantonly into the camera, a single finger poking delicately between full lips and flashing teeth, "**ALL I WANT FOR XMAS IS YOU**" painted across her toned stomach in that blocky white lettering she was so fond of slapping across all her snaps), Alex suddenly found herself very eagerly awaiting the upcoming holiday.

.

Alex moaned softly as her forehead fell to her desk with a soft thunk. One more hour and she could sneak away for the night without rising too much suspicion. She was just about finished with everything she needed to have done for the next few days and was looking forward to a long relaxing weekend to herself (and maybe a certain hot young blonde who was due to arrive in town sometime within the next few days).

She was contemplating shutting her computer down and slipping out a bit earlier when a quick knock echoed from her door frame.

"Alex!" Her boss greeted pleasantly as he stepped into her office. "I'm glad I caught you."

She smiled sheepishly at him. He wasn't unfamiliar with her early weekend habits, but she'd always been in his favor when it came to matters of work, so he'd knowingly look the other way when she slipped out an hour or two early every once in awhile. "Hey Bill, what's up?"

"I know you're not a fan of the whole interoffice mingling thing, but I was hoping I could convince you to at least stop by tonight." He chuckled softly at her pained expression and she couldn't stop her own soft grin from unfurling. "My daughter is stopping by and I'd love for you to meet her. I think you two would really hit it off. She could learn a lot from you."

Rolling her eyes playfully, Alex shook her head in quiet amusement. "Introducing your real daughter to your pseudo-adopted work daughter, hm?"

A soft chuckle slipped from his lips as he made to depart. "Think about it."

She sighed softly as he made his retreat, the lingering traces of a smile still touching her lips. "I'll see what I can do."

.

The party was in full swing when Alex finally made an appearance (or as full swing as a holiday office party could get). Her eyes scanned the room lazily as she mentally calculated how long she should hang around before making a graceful but adequately timed exit. A heavy sigh slipped from her lungs as she resigned herself to her temporary fate, ambling aimlessly in the general direction of the refreshments table.

She'd been contemplating slipping out after fifteen minutes of disjointed small talk and no sign of her boss when her gaze locked on a familiar pair of cerulean eyes. A disbelieving chuckle slipped through her lips as the blonde excused herself from the small group of people she'd been quietly conversing with and began to make her way over.

"What're _you_ doin' here?" She murmured teasingly when the younger girl was finally within earshot.

"Oh, I heard about this great holiday party and absolutely _had_ to come." She drawled in return, unable to stop the grin blooming across her face. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I work here." Alex replied bluntly, regarding the blonde with a soft fondness.

A confused hesitation fell across the blonde's face. But as she opened her mouth to reply another voice cut jovially through the noise of the party.

"Ah! Alex I see you've met my daughter, Piper."

Powerless to stop the sudden widening of her eyes, the brunette swung her gaze from her approaching boss back to the young woman standing before her. _Oh fuck_. The charming, innocent, full of potential, in need of a good talk with a decent role model such as herself, daughter of her boss was none other than the girl she'd been sharing increasingly explicit snapchats with for the past several months. Again, _fuck_.

"Ah, so _you're_ Alex." Piper crooned smoothly. "My father's told me quite a bit about you."

Alex continued to stare dumbly for a moment, suddenly weary of the mischievous shine glinting playfully in the younger woman's eyes.

"Yes. And you're... Piper." She extended her hand, finally finding her voice. "I've heard good things."

Piper clasped her hand warmly, a sly grin stretching across her mouth revealing an impressive set of white teeth (_she's going to eat me alive_, Alex found herself vaguely musing as they shook hands). "I'm sure you have."

"Piper here is in her fourth year at Smith and yet she still can't quite seem to decide where she'd like to go with her life once the rigorous journey of college comes to an end. I keep telling her this would be a good place to start. Figure out who she is, where she wants to go, what kind of work she wants to do. Learn the tools of her old man's trade." Piper's eyes never left Alex's as her father prattled on warmly. "But, of course, it always sounds more appealing coming from someone _other_ than your overbearing father."

"Ah." Alex's gaze flicked from Bill to his daughter. "That's where I come in."

"That's where you come in."

"I have to warn you, I don't have a whole lot of experience in the _good influence_ realm. I've always been more of a _DO NOT_ kinda example." Piper's eyes lit in subtle glee at Alex's murmured confession and Alex found herself wondering what the hell had prompted her to say that to her boss (Again. Father of the woman she's seen naked on _more than one_ occasion.) in the first place.

"Well, for all the grief I give you you've truthfully been one of the best employees I've had the honor of working with."

Alex tore her gaze from the alluring blonde before her in muted surprise. "I... thank you. Sir."

"It's Christmas, Vause." He murmured, reading the quiet questioning in her eyes. "And I could stand to tell you what an impact you make around here every once in awhile. Consider it part of your holiday bonus." He concluded with a wink, squeezing Piper's shoulder as he passed behind her. "Now, I'll leave you two to it. Get to know each other, you've got a lot in common. I've got to make the rounds, if you'll excuse me."

Piper murmured a quiet goodbye before turning back to the brunette before her, whose eyes were still trailing after the retreating figure of her father. "He thinks quite highly of you." She murmured, taking a slight step closer to the older woman.

Alex's attention fell from the retreating figure of her boss to the woman gazing curiously up at her. "I think he's had a little too much to drink." She teased with a chuckle, finally allowing herself to really get lost in the wondrous gaze of the blonde.

"No," she murmured, trailing a hand down Alex's jacket, absently straightening out the collar. "He doesn't say that sort of thing about just anyone. And he _has_ mentioned you before. Several times, in fact. I just never thought..."

"Yeah." Alex breathed out, with a small laugh. "Small world, huh?"

Piper eyed her quietly for a moment, hands still lightly grasping her coat. "Let's get out of here. I still intend to collect on those pictures I've sent you the past several months."

Powerless to stop the giddy smirk stretching across her face, Alex leaned towards the younger woman, lowering her voice teasingly. "Won't your father be a bit suspicious when you suddenly disappear for the rest of the night? Especially after leaving you with _me_."

Piper caught her bottom lip between her teeth, barely suppressing a grin. "I already told him I'd probably be spending the night out with a friend."

"Did you now?" Alex's eyebrows jumped teasingly.

"Mmhm." Piper hummed, pulling gently at the lapels of Alex's jacket. "I just neglected to tell him it probably wasn't the friend he was thinking of."

Alex tsked softly, a barely suppressed grin tugging at her lips. "I can see why he wanted me to talk some maturity into you."

"Trust me, maturity isn't the issue." Piper murmured, slowly pulling the taller woman towards her until her mouth was paralleled with her ear.

"No?"

"No. In fact, why don't you take me back to your place and I'll show just how _mature_ I am."

"Mmm. Well, what are we waiting for?"

.

It was nearing three in the morning as they lay quiet and spent in Alex's bed. Alex's fingers trailed gently through Piper's hair, her blonde head resting comfortably across her chest. Their silence was comfortable, both lost in thought, as Alex's eyes trailed aimlessly across her ceiling.

"So I'm thinking maybe I _will_ take my dad up on his offer to join the company for a bit after college." Piper murmured softly, rolling over to trace her fingers absently across Alex's collar bones, her chin coming to rest lightly on the other woman's chest.

"_Really_." Alex drawled playfully, repositioning her head to meet the blonde's gaze.

"Mmhm." Piper hummed, sapphire eyes twinkling mischievously.

"And what exactly made you change your mind, might I ask?"

"Nothing in particular." Piper mused, all false innocence and muted grins. "You just made some _very_ convincing arguments tonight."

Alex laughed warmly, eyes shining with mirth. "Well I'm sure your father will be happy to hear that."

Piper's face scrunched adorably before sliding into another grin. "I don't think we really need to tell him that his ploy worked." She murmured, leaning up to drop a kiss on the brunette's lips. "In fact I think it'd be best if we convinced him you had nothing to do with the decision _at all_."

"Is that so?" Alex whispered against her lips.

"Mmhm." Piper hummed. "It'll just make it all seem a little less... _planned_ when I start dating his favorite employee."

Alex couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up as the blonde chased her final words on the matter with a deeper kiss to her lips, their teeth clashing gently as they both dissolved into a quiet fit of giggles and soft touches, content in the hazy hours of the early morning and each other's arms.


	2. Chapter 2

_(accidentally swapped phones with someone at a party and don't realize until their mom calls in the morning and you spend like three hours talking to this hilarious woman about life and when you go to her house to return her kid's phone wow the kid is the really good kisser from the party last night au)_

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><p>The phone is ringing. The phone is ringing and it's not her ringtone. It's 7 AM, the phone is ringing, and it's not her ringtone. Only one of these things registered in Piper's sleep-clogged mind as she rolled over to answer the vibrating annoyance.<p>

"Hello?" She croaked, opening a bleary eye to study the angry red numbers of her alarm clock. She'd barely gotten in two hours ago.

"Al?" A way too chipper voice cracked down the line at her. "Jeez, yah sound like death warmed over. What time did you get in last night?"

"Five..." Piper mumbles out before she can stop herself.

"Hm. I been tryin' to ring yah all night. Finally decided to just try calling _early_ for a change, figured maybe then I'd manage to get ahold'a yah, and look at that I was right!"

"Mmm..." Piper murmured in understanding as her sleep clogged mind slowly began to catch up with the conversation. "Who is this?"

The talkative woman on the other line paused, suddenly seeming to realize it wasn't in fact "Al" she was talking to. "This is Alex's mother. Who's this?"

"Piper."

She waited a moment for the girl to continue, but when it appeared Piper wasn't going to elaborate she pressed on. "What're you doin' answerin' Al's phone, Piper?"

"I don't know." The woman, Alex's mother, chuckled softly at Piper's tired confusion.

"Well, is Al _around_?" She asked gently. Piper lifted her head, blearily peering around her empty bedroom.

"No, I..." She faltered, momentarily pulling the phone away from her ear to study it. "I think I must have... accidentally picked this phone up at the party last night?"

The woman chuckled again as Piper swore softly. "Ugh, I'm sorry. I got... _really_ drunk last night. I must have grabbed Alex's phone thinking it was mine. Um... you could maybe try calling mine to get in touch? We must have swapped."

"Yeah, I could try that. Find out where Al is." The woman murmurs. "I'll call yah back in a second."

Piper's arm drops tiredly back to the bed a soft thud. No point in trying for sleep again now, she thinks, rubbing her eyes.

Her thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the shrill cry of Katy Perry and she instinctively reaches her hand out to answer her phone.

"Hellooo... _oh_." She trails off.

"Well now, this is a predicament." Alex's mother greets with a blooming smirk evident in her voice.

"Oh goooood, I can't believe I did this." Piper groaned. "I've never gotten this drunk before, it was just a bad night after a bad week, and I got in a fight with my best friend, and I sort of lost count of how many drinks I had thrown back, and everything just sort of started running together, and now I've stolen somebody's phone!"

Alex's mom chuckled from the other end of the phone, as Piper rambled on. "Piper, Piper, Piper! Calm down sweetie. It's fine. It's a simple mistake, no harm, easily fixable. God knows we've all had our share of those nights. Just breathe, kid. Breathe."

A heavy sigh exploded from Piper's lungs as she willed herself to calm. "I'm sorry. I just. It's been a long week. I can drop the phone off somewhere if you need me to. Is there a certain address you need me to go to?"

"Honey you don't sound like you're in any condition to be goin' anywhere anytime soon." The woman soothed. "Yah only got in, what, two hours ago you said? We'll get Al's phone back, just take some time to get yourself sorted first."

Another sigh slipped through the girl's lips, this time slower as she allowed the older woman's words to ease her gradually into a sense of calm.

"You strike me as someone who doesn't let loose too often, it must really have been a hell of a week for yah."

"Yeah." Piper murmured softly. "My friend, Polly, dropped the news that she's currently sleeping with her professor on me last night. Right before informing me that the guy she's been trying to set up me up with for the past month would be at the party and lecturing me on how good he'd be for me and how I need to just give him a chance."

"Mm. Been _there_." The woman murmured, understandingly.

"Right? And normally it wouldn't be too much, except my mother had called earlier to yet again lecture me on my life choices, because nothing I ever do can be good enough for her since Danny the Doctor moved out."

"Older brother?" She asked sympathetically.

"Yeah. The Golden Child. I mean I love Danny, I do, but it's like he ran as fast as he could, as soon as he could and now my parents attention has shifted to me. Which wouldn't be so bad, I guess, but it's like no matter what I do they're disappointed. Nothing I do is ever enough. I graduated high school with honors, but wasn't the valedictorian. I'm going to college, but didn't pick the right major. Congratulations Piper, but you could have done better."

"Ah. _Those_ kinda parents." The woman murmured. "Overbearingly encouraging to the point of perpetual disappointment."

"Yeah." Piper sighed, tiredly. "I'm sorry for dumping all my shit onto you. I just... once I start I can't really... stop."

The woman tsked softly. "Nonsense. Yah sound like yah need a sympathetic ear right now and trust me, honey, when I say we've all been there. I probably could have avoided my share of past mistakes if I'd had someone to unload my troubles onto after a night of heavy drinking. Sometimes all we need to do is let it out. Cause let me tell yah, holdin' it in? Helps _no one_. And you sound like someone who spends a lot of time holdin' things in." She prods with the gentle tell of a smile in her voice.

"Yeah." Piper exhales with a small laugh. "It's kind of how I was raised."

"Ah. Well that certainly explains a lot." She teases gently.

Piper loses track of how long they spend talking, as she unloads the stress of her life onto the sympathetic woman. Laughing as the older woman shares her own stories of drunken nights, bad decisions, and the false sense of teenage invincibility.

"Alex is lucky to have you." Piper murmurs on the fading tail of a laugh after a particularly hilarious story.

"Yeah, well. I got my share of faults too." She admits with a sigh. Piper stays silent as she draws a heavy breath. "Lemme tell yah something, Piper. I have only known you for the better part of this morning and already I can tell you are an incredible kid. Yah got a good head on your shoulders, your hearts seems to be in the right place, yah sound like you're twice as much as most of the girls Alex has dragged home. And your parents would be crazy to not see that. Though something tells me they _do_. They might not be the best at expressing it, but it sounds like they just want what's best for yah. They want yah to have every opportunity you possibly can, because, trust me, the alternative's a real drag." She chuckled softly and Piper found herself joining. "They could probably stand to be a little more supportive, but don't you for a second think you're not good enough for anyone. The only person you gotta be good enough for at the end of the day is YOU. Alright, kid?"

"Yeah," Piper breathed, wiping gently at her eyes, which had slightly started to water during the older woman's speech. "Thank you, really. For... everything. I- oh god, y'know, I never even asked you your name!"

A genuine laugh echoed down the phone to Piper's ear and she found herself grinning, _really grinning_, for the first time in at least 24 hours. "It's Diane, sweetie. Diane Vause. Now. Let's see about gettin' you Alex's address so you can get that phone back, huh?"

.

It was late afternoon when Piper finally found her way to the address she'd written across an old receipt she'd scooped off her floor. She drew a deep breath as she waited for whoever was behind the door to respond to her knocking.

Her eyes were scanning the neighborhood behind her idly when the door opened.

"Hey, I'm-" She turned to face the door, hesitating at the sight of the person behind it. "Oh. I'm... sorry, I must... I'm looking for an Alex?"

The woman before her tilted her head, darting a look to the side before meeting Piper's eyes once more. "You... found her?" She answered haltingly.

"Oh. I... OH! I'm sorry, I just... I spoke to your mother earlier... on the phone... I'd just assumed you were, a... never mind!" A faint smirk pulled at the older's woman lips as Piper rambled helplessly. "I... you... were at the, uh... party, last night I... I took your phone." She finished lamely.

Alex's smirk grew as she reached out to grasp the object helplessly being offered up between them. Their fingers brushed for a moment before Piper suddenly pulled her hand back.

"Wait, I... I remember you..." The smirk slowly fell from Alex's face as she watched the blonde piece together hazy memories. "You... I didn't take your phone, you gave me your phone!" She exclaimed indignantly.

Alex watched her silently, somewhat thrown by this new turn of emotion.

"We made out on the couch for like an hour and then you told me to take your phone when I had to leave. I have spent the entire day _berating_ myself for getting SO DRUNK that I picked up _two_ cell phones when all along you had just up and _given it to me_!" The smirk tugged gently at the corners of Alex's mouth once more as she listened to the blonde rant.

"To be fair, we did a little more than make out." She couldn't resist commenting, jarring the blonde into momentary silence.

She studied the brunette before her in quiet interest for a moment. "Why did you give me your phone?"

Alex's gaze shifted awkwardly from the blonde before her, sweeping sheepishly around the street as she fought a growing grin. "I, uh... I gave you my phone so you'd have my number." She couldn't quite stop the chuckle that bubbled up from her lips. "It made sense at the time."

Piper's eyes lit with quiet wonder as she watched the older woman. "No, I... oh my god, I totally remember that now... you were very insistent." She trailed off with a laugh, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth.

"_Yeah_." Alex mumbled, smirking.

They studied each other for a moment, quietly suppressing giddy grins.

"Well..." Piper murmured after a moment, "you _did_ manage to end an otherwise shitty week on a rather positive note... if I remember correctly."

Alex laughed quietly and Piper vaguely noted she could hear hints of her mother's raspy chuckle in it. "Glad I could help."

"I never did get your number." She murmured softly as they continued to study one another, before dragging her eyes away from Alex's to sweep them across the building. "Though I _did_ get your address. I guess that counts for something."

"Here." Alex murmured, reaching her hand out expectantly. Piper pulled her own phone out and placed it in her upturned palm. Alex tapped away silently for a moment. "Now you've got my _number_ too." The forgotten phone in Piper's other hand vibrated suddenly. "And I've got yours."

She glanced at Alex's phone in her hand, swiping open the text from a familiar "unknown" number, and reading it quietly.

She typed her name into the "Add Contact" box before handing the phone back to Alex and taking her own.

"Thank you... Alex Vause."

"Thank _you_, Piper Chapman." Alex responded, eyes flicking down to read the updated contact list.

It was much later that night when another text message from Piper Chapman came through. Popping up quietly underneath the original message Alex sent out earlier (_"have dinner with me sometime"_), a short simple "okay."

Alex found herself grinning as she read the message. She'd have to remember to call her mother in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

_(we're best friends and we take each others virginity's AU) **[M RATING]**_

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><p>They were sitting in Piper's bedroom the day they got the idea. It was a Thursday, the one blissful day when all the Chapman's schedules lined up in such a way that Piper had the house to herself until six, when Cal would finally troop in from after school tutoring.<p>

Thursdays were Alex's favorite day.

She was laying haphazardly across Piper's bed, where she'd flung herself immediately upon entering the room. The blonde sat at the desk across the room with her back turned to her. It was routine. Piper would immediately begin her homework (_I can't really feel relaxed until it's no longer looming over my head, Al_), Alex would put hers off until the last possible minute (_I can't start it until I've had the chance to really unwind, Pipes_), and the night would pass in slow quiet bliss.

Piper apparently had different plans tonight.

"Larry thinks we should go all the way." Her voice suddenly breaks their comfortable silence and Alex tears her gaze from the paint strokes of Piper's ceiling to the Blonde's turned back.

"What?"

Her shoulders shrug with a nonchalance that only Alex could tell was practiced. She allows herself to slowly sink back against the pillows at the younger girl's silence, her mind turning this new piece of information over. "Well… are you?"

"I dunno." She murmurs, still unconvincingly detached, "Polly says she hasn't done it yet, but she thinks Pete's the one."

"What does that mean? _The one_?"

"I dunno. Someone… special." She scowls at the paper in front of her at the brunette's mocking scoff. "_What_?"

"Nothing. It's just weird that you think _Barry's_ 'The One'. I mean you've only gone on what, two dates?"

"We've gone on more than two dates, Alex, and Larry seems… nice." She falters, her falsely casual tone becoming less and less convincing as the conversation wears on. "I mean… he seems like he'd be… gentle. Caring."

"So you're going to sleep with him because he's _nice_. Jeez, Piper, those are some impressive standards you've got."

"I didn't say I was going to! I said maybe, as far as first times go, he wouldn't be the worst!" She didn't know when they'd gone from having a casual conversation to a budding argument. Alex didn't give her time to dwell on it.

"Whatever. Do whatever you want, Piper, I just think there are better choices than Barry the Boy Wonder."

"Well I _know_ **Larry** well enough to know he'd at least be considerate and attentive. Which is more than I can say for most of the other guys at school." Her tone softened as she returned to writing her temporarily neglected paper. "I just want it to be… _nice_. Y'know? I don't want it to be an uncomfortable mistake that turns me off the whole idea, just… special."

"It's just sex. There's nothing 'special' about it. You have it and that's that."

"Well, have _you_ done it?" She turned towards Alex, who found herself fumbling uncharacteristically for an answer before she had the chance to properly examine the new, strangely defensive tone that had seeped into the Blonde's words.

"I mean… no… I've fooled around and stuff, but never…" Green irises danced around the room before returning to Piper's blue ones. She narrowed them at the brunette's uncharacteristic hesitance.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't slightly taken aback at Alex's admission. She thought for sure the brunette had _gone the distance_ at this point, more than once, even, judging by the rumors that were slowly starting to creep up about her around the school. Whispers of Alex Vause's supposed conquests were a large part of the reason why Larry's timid proposal had stuck so insistently with her. Something about the thought of Alex growing up without her had struck a muted sort of panic within Piper. She'd always felt the pulling need to almost sort of _keep up with_ the older girl. Not sure if it was due to the year and a half Alex had on her age-wise, or the fact that the brunette always seemed to be leagues ahead of the rest of their peers as far as worldly presence went, Piper tried never to dwell on the churning fear that stirred heavily in her stomach.

"Oh." She murmured softly, eyes dropping to slide across her carpet before returning to the brunette propped upon her elbows atop her bed. She turned back to her desk, shutting the once again forgotten notebook in front of her. Alex sighed heavily from the bed behind her.

Rising from her chair, Piper padded the short distance across the room to the bed, slowly lowering herself down across from the brunette. They lay on their sides, studying each other.

"Maybe I'll wait to take the next step with Larry then." Piper finally murmured, gaze flitting gently around Alex's face. "You're right. It should be with someone I _want_ to do it with. Someone I trust. Not just someone who's _nice_."

"Someone you trust, huh?" Alex murmured with a slight chuckle, "Good luck with _that_."

"What?" Piper asked, a indignant sort of teasing to her voice.

"Nothing, it's just…" Alex's expression grew serious as the she regarded the blonde before her, "you might end up waiting a long time if you're gonna wait for _that_."

"Hey!" Piper shoved her shoulder lightly as Alex's face broke into that self satisfied grin she presented whenever amused by her own humor. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You are like the most untrusting person I know, Piper! You barely trust anyone!"

They grinned at each other through their fading giggles, eyes locking in quiet amusement. A slow seriousness stole across Piper's face as she studied the brunette's dying grin. Alex remained silent, allowing whatever thought currently rolling through the blonde's mind to work it's way through her.

"I trust _you_." She finally murmured softly.

The last lingering edges of amusement faded from her face as Alex grew still, studying the blonde before her.

"Pipes…"

Suddenly uncomfortable, Piper made to sit up, hastily murmuring out an stuttered, jumbled apology. She didn't get very far, however, before she felt Alex's hand close around her arm, gently pulling her back to the bed before she could beat her hasty retreat.

"Hey," Her voice is soft as the blonde sinks back into the mattress, refusing to meet her eye, "_Pipes_."

Blue eyes refuse to move from their inspection of the bed sheets. Alex slowly lets her fingers slide from their grip around the blonde's arm to skate gently across her cheek. Tucking a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear she waits for the sapphire gaze to climb back up to hers.

"Pipes, trust me, I…" She falters, slowly trying to grasp the words she wants to use, "there's nothing I would love more…"

"But?" And Piper's voice is so soft when she speaks, so small and quiet and broken that it's all Alex can do to not take her right then and there.

She studies the younger girl as the silence stretches between them, _really _studies her. It's not like she'd never entertained the idea of her and Piper. Late nights in bed, just before the creeping haze of dawn begins to crawl across the dark sky, her thoughts would sometimes wander to the blonde. And maybe that's why she falters.

Piper's blue eyes shine softly up at hers. Bright blue. _Impossibly_ bright. She'd never been able to resist when the younger girl turned that shining gaze on her. Alex Vause prided herself on being a woman of few weakness, but Piper Chapman had always been one of them. And when those impossibly bright eyes gazed up at her her with such emotion Alex Vause was powerless to resist giving her the world.

"I just…" Her eyes flicked between Piper's helplessly, "are you sure?"

And now it was Piper's turn to pause in the gathering silence. Losing herself in the depths of Alex's green irises before her. She'd known Alex her entire life, there were no memories that did not in some way involve Alex. There was no one in the world she _trusted_ more than Alex. There was no one in the world she _wanted _more than Alex.

It had always been Alex. Piper had spent the majority of her life _chasing_ Alex. Desperately trying to keep pace with the older girl, desperately trying to hold on. She knew she'd never be _enough_ for Alex. And that's why she falters. The sudden vulnerability in the older girl's eyes is all the encouragement Piper needs to know she's enough.

"_Yes_." She whispers, Alex's fingers skate lightly (_so_ lightly, _infuriatingly_ lightly) across her cheek, "_I want it to be you_. _I want it to do this **together**_."

And it's all the further convincing Alex needs.

They study each other for one final moment, as if memorizing everything they'll no longer be once they take this step. When their lips meet softly it's better than anything Alex had imagined in the soft cover of darkness. As their mouths dance against one another it's more than Piper ever wished for in the consuming haze of self doubt. One of them moans softly. Hands reach to cup each other's cheeks, slide across each other's jaws, caress each other's faces. Alex shifts her weight, leaning over the blonde before her. Her thigh falls between Piper's and she arches at the contact.

Their mouths break apart and their foreheads knock together gently as they gasp for air against each other's open mouths. Alex's hand makes it's way down Piper's body, fingertips skimming softly across her stomach, inching further and further under the hem of her t-shirt as her mouth moves to caress it's way down her neck. Piper gasps softly when Alex's fingers prod at the underside of her bra, arching gently into the explorative touch.

She pauses a moment, resting her forehead against Piper's cheekbone, her teeth light scraping against the younger girl's jaw as she draws her breath, before pushing her fingers under the soft material to rest gently across the swell of Piper's breast. Her thumb sways back and forth, slowly coaxing the nipple to attention, before gently squeezing at it.

The noises Piper makes are soft and needy and Alex has heard other girls make them before but never have they sounded quite so enticing as when_Piper_ makes them. She keeps their foreheads close as she watches the emotions dance across the blonde's face. Her light blue eyes had fallen closed as she temporarily lost herself in the new sensation of Alex's hands on her chest.

She teases a bit longer before pressing a quick kiss to her parted lips and pulling the shirt and bra up over her head, leaving Piper excitingly bare to her in a way she'd never been before. Her eyes had come open during the undressing and the clouded look of want and need (and something else Alex couldn't quite put her finger on just yet) that she fixed on Alex was enough to make her falter for a moment.

Alex pulled gently at her nipple, twisting it softly between her fingers as she locked eyes with the blonde. "Is this good?"

"Yes." Piper breathed out, voice barely a whisper. "_Yes_."

She slid a hand up her chest and over Alex's forearm, fingers locking gently at the bend of her elbow, squeezing lightly in anticipation as Alex leaned down once more to capture her lips in a heated kiss. Piper's hand slid up Alex's bicep, over her shoulder, down her sides to her hips, where her fingers tangled gently in the hem of her shirt.

"Now you." She murmured, tugging gently at the shirt. "_Together_."

Alex ducked her head and they swiftly pulled the shirt off her, Piper's fingers immediately moving to tug at the straps of her bra as the brunette's reached around behind her to unhook it. It fell away quickly and Piper wasted no time tossing it off the edge of the bed before returning her hands to the newly revealed skin before her. Alex sat up slightly, leaning back on her heels as Piper's hands pushed their way up her stomach to clasp her breasts. She felt her heartbeat quicken as the younger girl's palms brushed lightly against her nipples, hands squeezing the soft flesh of her chest gently. She couldn't stop the breathless moan that escaped her lips in the slightest huff as the blonde's hands continued to learn her.

Their hips ground together as Alex arched her back and Piper gasped again at the new sensation. Taking advantage of the blonde's temporary distraction, Alex leaned forward to draw one of her taut nipples into her mouth, sucking gently, as her thumb and forefinger returned to tug at the other. Piper's hands slid around her sides and down her back as Alex leaned over her once more, coming to rest at the waistline of her jeans, fingers lightly dipping below the hem every time Alex flexed her back in the right way, just barely grazing the top of her ass.

Pulling her mouth from Piper's chest, Alex began to move her way up over her collar bones, across her neck, and under her jaw before pausing to suck gently at the skin below her ear. Their chests brushed against each other and the both released gentle sighs at the tender sensation. One of Piper's hands moved to tangle in the hair at the back of Alex's head, pulling her mouth harder against her neck. Alex complied with her silent request, mouth moving rougher against her pulsing skin, teeth grazing lightly at the slowly blooming bruise.

"More." Piper whispered, breathless, fingers sliding deeper into Alex's jeans. She pulled herself from the younger girl's neck, hands trailing slowly down her legs to rest atop her thighs as she leaned back once more. Piper's hands slid around her waist, gripping lightly at the front of her dark jeans, just above her pockets. They studied each other for a moment, as if silently confirming the next step.

Alex studied the girl before her. Golden hair fanned out around her on the pillows, a messy sort of halo, sapphire eyes shining up at her, an endless well of _trust_ (it's enough to take Alex's breath away). Her eyes trace over the body underneath her, The slowly darkening bruise she's left just under Piper's right ear, Piper's slightly heaving chest, her delicate pink nipples straining for attention, as if reaching out for Alex. Her gaze trailed down Piper's stomach, to where her own hand rested just below her naval, thumb tenderly brushing the hem of the younger girl's jeans.

"_Al_." She pressed gently at the older girl's hesitation. Her gaze returned to that of the blonde at her soft prompting.

Piper's hand rose to trace across Alex's jaw and her eyes fell closed against the tender caress. Her fingers came to rest under her chin and Alex allowed them be her anchor as she leaned into the younger girl's lips once more. They kissed slowly as Alex's hands moved to unbutton Piper's jeans, breaking apart only to rest their foreheads against one another as Alex slid the zipper down and began to tug them from Piper's hips.

They held each other's gaze as they slid the garment the rest of the way down Piper's body, Alex tossing them carelessly over the end of the bed behind her. Her gaze raked over Piper's waiting body once more and she leaned to place a kiss at the bend of her knee, resting her cheek against it gently as she met the blonde's eyes once more. Her hand trailed lazily up and down Piper's thigh as they watched each other, before placing another kiss against her knee and stretching herself along the younger girl's body, hips snug between Piper's thighs.

Piper's hands reached for the button of Alex's jeans and their noses brushed gently as they worked to slide them down and off Alex's legs. Alex's mouth sought Piper's once more as she kicked her jeans to the floor to land in a heap atop Piper's. Their hips pushed rhythmically against each other as the kiss deepened. Alex's fingers danced lightly around the hem of Piper's underwear, slipping below in the barest of touches every time Piper's hips pulsed in just the right way.

"Alex." She breathed out around their fumbling lips and clashing teeth. "I want you. I want all of you."

"You've got me, kid. You've got me."

Piper's hips rose once more, pausing above the mattress. Alex took advantage of their stilled suspension, pulling the last barrier of clothing from Piper's heated body, before quickly ridding herself of her own. They lay still for a moment, allowing themselves to become familiar with the new sensation of uninhibited skin on skin, the feeling of experiencing each other _completely_ in a way no other person yet had.

A soft sigh slipped through Alex's lips as she connected their mouths once more. Her hands roamed Piper's body, skating gently down her sides, over her thighs, under her knees as she pulled the girl impossibly closer. Piper's palms ran over her ribs, pausing under her shoulders, lightly brushing the swell of her breasts. Alex's fingers slowly trailed back down Piper's thighs, stilling just before her hips. Her thumbs traced gentle patterns closer and closer to the cusp of Piper's thighs, and Piper gasped faintly, breaking apart from her mouth, as she made soft contact with the sensitive area between her legs.

She watched the girl below her carefully as her touches grew firmer, insistent. Piper's eyes had fallen closed at the new and unfamiliar contact. Her fingers prodded gently at Piper's soft wet opening, coaxing her eyes open once more as they locked gazes silent conversation.

"Are you ready?" She whispered softly, her fingers sliding gently up and down between Piper's legs, slowly coating themselves in the warm wetness of her cunt as they waited.

"Yes." Piper breathed out, barely audible, nodding in case Alex missed it. "Go slow."

"I will." Alex murmured, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead before pulling back to lock eyes once more.

She continued to trace the outline of Piper's sex as the blonde fought to control her breathing underneath her. Her thumb came to circle her clit before brushing against it in the barest of touches, causing Piper's hips to jerk violently off the bed.

"_Al-_" She gasped breathlessly, her arms winding tightly around Alex's shoulders in a desperate attempt to anchor the older girl to her.

Alex placed a soft kiss on her neck.

"Talk to me, kid." She murmured, a single finger just barely pushing into the opening between her legs. Slowly, so slowly, sliding deeper into her channel.

"Nnnmn." Piper groaned against Alex's collar bone. "Ah! It feels- _Alex_!" Her fingertips dug into Alex's shoulder blades as her hands flexed against the new feeling of having someone else in her body.

"Good?" Alex murmured, stilling her hand's progress as she awaited the blonde's confirmation to continue.

"_Yes_." Piper all but hissed. Alex found herself grinning into the girl's neck as she eased herself further into her warm inviting body.

"_Fuck, Pipes_." She rasped with a pant as her knuckle pushed to a stop against Piper's opening. She stilled again, allowing the blonde to become comfortable with her intrusion to her body. "You feel so..."

"_Yeah_."

They lay in silence for a moment, adjusting to each other's overwhelming presence. Alex dropping gentle kisses across Piper's heated shoulder and neck, Piper's fingers squeezing out a gentle rhythm against Alex's shoulders. Alex breathed deeply, her free hand caressing Piper's hip before trailing up her ribs. Her thumb stroked lightly at the underside of her breast and Piper sighed softly, flexing her hips gently. "_Okay_."

"Okay?" Alex confirmed, slowly flexing the hand currently caressing Piper's soft wet cunt.

Piper's hips pushed back against her hand with a slight more insistence. She began to pull her hand free from Piper's warm core before sliding it in again, her thumb brushing against Piper's pulsing clit as she established a slow, easy rhythm. She kissed a trail from Piper's neck, across her collar bones, down her chest to one of her protruding nipples. She placed a gentle kiss on it before drawing it into her mouth and sucking gently.

"_Al..._" Piper sighed, her arms finally sliding from the older girl's shoulders. Her fingertips skirted down Alex's back, circling gently at the base of her spine as her other hand trailed between them and down Alex's stomach. Alex's body jolted abruptly as Piper's fingers clumsily bumped against her clit. Her teeth scraped lightly at Piper's nipple in her surprise and Piper's hips jerked in need as she arched against the sudden sensation.

"_Pipes_." She breathed out, against the blonde's chest as Piper's fingers began to rub more insistently at the area between her legs.

"It's okay." Piper whispered against her temple as she slowly opened Alex up under her touch. Her fingers paused when they reached Alex's pooling entrance, tracing the outline of her opening with hesitance. Alex sensed her uncertainty through what was left of her slowly clouding mind.

"It's just like you'd do yourself." She murmured. "Just touch me like you'd want to be touched."

Piper's fingers hesitated only for a moment longer before she gently began to push herself into Alex's waiting warmth. Alex buried her face against Piper with a grunt, biting gently at her collar bone as the blonde filled her.

"Okay?" She murmured after a few seconds, her free hand raising to thread through Alex's hair. "Al?"

Alex nodded mutely against Piper's slick neck, before raising her head to capture her lips in a forceful kiss.

They began moving all at once. Matching each other's paces, meeting each other's thrusts, free hands traveling over every expanse of skin they could reach. Piper whimpered softly into Alex's sweaty skin as she eased another finger into her. Alex gasped breathlessly when Piper mimicked the action. They kissed each other gently, forcefully, rhythmically as the moved against each other. It didn't take long for the tug of that heavy-laden edge to reach them. She'd tried to draw it out as long as possible, keep Piper flirting with the brink of pleasure as long as she could, but as the blonde beneath her erupted with a hoarse exclamation Alex found herself quickly tumbling over that ledge after her. Their walls pulsed erratically against their fingers as Alex continued to stroke Piper down from her high, her own hips still flexing gently against the hand Piper still had buried within her, before they gradually stilled against each other.

Piper's hand slid gingerly from her wet heat and Alex slowly pulled her own hand from between the blonde's legs, a heavy sigh breaking through her lips as she tried to regain her breath. Piper buried her face in her neck, and she brought her free hand up to tangle in the blonde hair, holding her softly against her. Piper's arms snaked around her shoulders once more in a loose hug. She rubbed her nose into the older girl's neck before dropping a soft kiss against it and pulling away.

"_Alex_."

She met her sapphire gaze with a tender smile, pressing her forehead against Piper's once more and dropping a slow lingering kiss to her lips.

"_Yeah_."

They lost track of time as they lay quietly in the dying light of the afternoon sun across Piper's bedroom, softly tracing patterns across each other's cooling skin.

"I don't think it would have been that good with Larry." Piper eventually mused, causing Alex to look up from where she lay resting on her chest. Her chin came to rest against the younger girl's sternum with a muted grin. "But I definitely think we'll need to... practice. Some more."

A husky chuckle broke through Alex's grin as she watched the blonde's gaze dart across the room in practiced nonchalance once again before coming to meet Alex's amused one. "Is that so?" She murmured, fighting the insistent grin tugging at her lips.

"I mean it was good..." Piper trailed off playfully, the barest hint of timidness dancing in her tone. "but I definitely think we could do better."

Giving up in her hopeless fight against the growing grin alighting her features, Alex leaned in towards Piper's face with another husky chuckle. "You're right." She murmured throatily against the blonde's eager lips. "We definitely could stand to practice a little more."

Their lips met in giddy bliss as they grinned against each other's mouths, kisses breaking as the occasional laugh slipped through.


	4. Chapter 4

inspired by captainscarletts and her orange AUs on tumblr  
>musical inspiration (of course) <em>Sometime Around Midnight<em> by the Airborne Toxic Event

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><p>11:43<p>

The white letters of her cellphone blurred together before he eyes as Alex tossed back what was left of the drink in front of her. She'd lost track of what number she was on somewhere around forty-seven minutes ago. The music pulsing through the speakers was some melancholic lament about love lost and swirling darkness and she vaguely wondered how many times she'd heard it tonight (or maybe all music just sounded the same anymore. or maybe she was just drunk. which beat the _other_ sort of cloudy haze she'd taken to spending her nights in before Nicky pulled her to feet and began to work on building her pieces back together)._  
><em>

The chimes above the door had jingled twelve minutes ago and she'd happened to raise her eyes to the mirror across the bar before her for the first time since entering the quiet establishment (because Nicky had given up vying for her attention somewhere around thirty-two minutes ago). She told herself she was hallucinating (again), that the sapphire eyes and golden blonde hair reflected through the soft light before her was just some other late night, upper class bar crawler (not _her_ late night, sapphire-eyed ghost, never _her_ upper class, blonde haired memory). But it was going on fourteen minutes now and the familiar presence was still there (it's fingers closing around her neck, slowly squeezing the air from her lungs with it's falsely loving grip). And she could feel her. She could feel her eyes on her (because those fingers were tugging at _her_ neck too, that invisible thread that tied them together no matter how hard at it they pulled) and she tried so hard to ignore it (but she'd never been able to _not_ feel Piper Chapman's presence when she was near, and what the fuck ever made her think _that_ would change?).

She was wearing white. A dress familiar to Alex in the same way everything else about her was. She closed her eyes against the war of emotions fighting for control of the situation. The last time she'd seen that dress had been a Sunday afternoon. They were back in the city for the briefest of moments, visiting friends, family, _home_, not even anywhere foreign. They'd gone to a farmer's market that morning and her thoughts betray her by projecting the image of a laughing Piper against the dreary backdrop of the bar (only it wasn't the bar anymore and that white dress was swaying with the gentle breeze and Piper's soft laughter as she held up various questionably shaped vegetables for Alex's amusement).

Her laughter rings out across the bar as Alex catches her shimmering reflection in the mirror once more. She's holding a glass against her chest, running her hand down someone's arm, moving with the music in the smallest sway of motion. And the memories bleed into reality and Alex can't tell where one ends and the next begins before she's approaching her (and she knows she's coming before she sees her move, knows she's there before she speaks).

She begins slowly, but not tentatively (because tentative was something they'd never been), asks how she is, says it's good to see her, tells her she looks well (and she's drunk and she's giddy and she can't quite mask that shade of enchantment swirling gently against that shadow of guilt). And Alex answers her. Heaven help her, she gives her _everything_ (because when has she ever _not_?).

She's wearing perfume and the flood of memories already threatening to drown Alex yank her deeper into the churning depths as more and more images of Piper splash across the bricks of the bar walls. Scent was always the strongest sense tied to memory, she'd learned that much after her mother died and she spent the night sobbing against the sheets of her old house, relearned it the next morning as she came across an abandoned shirt of Piper's that managed to get lost in the hasty tanglings of her own, forgotten in the wake of their fallout (much like she had been).

Piper's skin glistens under the orange-yellow lights of the bar and against it Alex can see her own, she can see _everything_. Piper's skin glistens underneath her and next to her and inside her and it slides gracefully against her own, and they're rolling and they're tumbling and they're _still_ as memory after memory of Piper's skin glides over her. And that small gripping of anger that had begun to out-pull the rest of the warring tangled emotions filling her chest to the point of physical _ache_ was now beginning to lose ground in it's battle. Because she _hated_ Piper and she hated _herself_ and she hated every single thing they allowed themselves to become and every single thing each had allowed the other to _do_, but the smiling sated Piper who's skin glistened against her own as she held her in her arms and the laughing playful Piper who's dress danced in the gentle breeze of the Sunday afternoon told her that she could never stop loving her. And she remembers how they always used to fit together like two perfect broken pieces of one whole being.

And those fingers that had been slowly tightening around Alex's neck since the moment Piper Chapman walked into the bar were now choking the life from her lungs as she fought desperately to regain herself against the overwhelming feeling of _loss_. Her mother, her girlfriend, her best friend, the love of her life, her home, her _home_, she'd lost it all in one shattering moment. Those ruins she'd finally turned away from now lay in crumbles at her feet once more as Piper Chapman slipped gracefully away from her yet again in the haze of the bar.

A man she doesn't know offers her a coat she doesn't recognize and Alex screams at herself to tear her eyes away (as if there's anything else in the world to focus on when Piper Chapman is in the room), but she can't. Sapphire eyes dart to hers briefly as Piper shrugs the unfamiliar coat on, and just as quickly as she'd come, she's out the door (and her nostrils flair and her fists clench and her blood boils because if that isn't just _such_ the Piper Chapman way). Come into her life, ignite everything she thought she knew, then disappear just as quickly as she'd come, Piper Chapman had always been nothing short of a _storm_. Nicky's voice is ringing against her ear, asking her what the hell's got her so worked up, informing her that she looks as if she's just seen a ghost (but she's grabbing her jacket before anyone can stop her and bursting through the door before her mind can catch up with her).

The street lights bleed above her and the pavement heaves below her and she _screams_ (and people stare but she doesn't notice because all she can see is Piper, all she could ever see was_ Piper_). At the end of the block a taxi breaks and Piper is paused in the door of it, murmuring words she can't make out into it. She's stalking forward on unsteady legs growing steadier with every step that brings her closer to the blonde (that storm named _Piper Chapman_ rolling through her in increasing waves of anger and love and loss and hatred). Her hands are tangling in the coarse material of the coat as Piper's fist against the loose material at her collar bones when they collide. And they're drunk and they're tired and they're beaten and they're worn and all she wants to do is scream (scream until her throat runs raw and her voice gives out and Piper's ears ring with nothing but the noise of her devastation), but her snarling growl carries a sob as she shakes helplessly at the lapels of Piper's coat.

Her world lay in crumbles at her feet and she begins to fall to her knees among the rubble, but Piper's hands against her chest keep her from falling, and she vaguely notes that she's not alone in her sobbing as Piper's warm tears slide steadily from her own cheeks to Alex's temple (and it's a new sensation to not be _alone_ in a world inflamed with Piper Chapman). She loses track of the time as they fall apart against each other (she loses track of _everything_ as _Piper Chapman_ seeps steadily into her throbbing veins). And she knows it's a bad idea and she knows that they should both let it go and let it die and let it _be_ (because the only thing they've ever _truly_ been good at is breaking each other), but none of that seems to matter anymore as they clutch each other in the pulsing lights of New York City. Because _they're_ the only thing that ever truly _did_ matter.

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><p>There were a lot of background details I tried in <em>vain<em> to include in this story, like time frame and setting, and whether or not Litchfield existed or where Alex was in her drug use or if she was still with the cartel, but this story sort of ended up all flowing out at once (this is actually one of the first chapters/stories I've actually sat down and just written all in one go) and I can't find it in myself to squeeze them in anywhere. Because (much like the way the song itself seems to run) the story seems best left in an air of hazy muddled disjointed thoughts. So I apologize if it's hard to read in places or seems like a mess of confusion and nonsensical ramblings, it was just something I needed to get out and couldn't bring myself to alter. Though, I also did want to leave a lot of it up to interpretation as well, leave it slightly vague and floating so you can fit it into canon or AU wherever or however you see fit.


	5. Chapter 5

_(we're acquaintances in real life who didn't know we were mutually attracted to each other until we found out we both swiped right on tinder AU)_

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><p>Polly had been going on for 27 minutes now about some new health craze she'd read about on the internet that morning and it was all Piper could do to feign interest. She'd finished telling her about the latest developments in the world of cosmetics and had immediately launched into whatever it was she was going on about now. Piper had lost interest somewhere around the observations of the new vegan place at the mall and was now scrolling idly through her phone. Tinder. To be exact.<p>

"Ugh." Piper muttered as the familiar face popped up.

**ALEX, 27.**

**1 MUTUAL FRIEND.**

_Alex Vause_. Nicky's friend.

They'd met once or twice through the bushy haired girl. It's not that they _hated _each other, they were just generally… incapable of sharing the same space without eventually going at it like a couple of feral cats.

Alex would make a smartass, vague comment designed to set Piper off and Piper would never fail to disappoint.

"You'd fuckin' be perfect for each other if you could just stop bein' assholes for two minutes." Nicky would mutter.

Piper raised her thumb over the image, ready to swipe left and be done with Alex Vause until the next time Nicky forces them to interact again. She paused, finger hovering over Alex's stupid smug face. She _was_ fairly attractive. Piper tapped her thumb against the side of her phone idly as she studied the brunette's pictures before her. Yes, it was definitely a face Piper could sit on, even if the personality under it could use a little work. Or a _lot_ of work.

Well, what could be the harm in swiping right? If anything Alex would never find out, and in the off chance that she _would_ swipe right Piper could at least bask in the narcissistic fact that the cocky woman found her attractive.

"Hm." Her thumb slid across the screen, tossing the picture to the right, preparing to move to the next contender.

**IT'S A MATCH**

**YOU AND ALEX HAVE LIKED EACH OTHER**

Piper's fingers stilled over her phone as her blood ran cold. She hadn't been expecting a result so quickly. If anything she'd thought it'd be _her_ who swiped first, ready to be the shock for _Alex_ if/when she decided to swipe right afterwards. Fuck.

**ALEX SENT YOU A NEW MESSAGE**

That was quick. Piper wasn't sure if she was impressed or appalled.

**well this is awkward.**

**so you think I'm attractive.**

Piper scowled angrily at her phone. She could_ hear_ the smug tone oozing from the tiny black letters. Why the fuck had she swiped right.

**I could say the same to you.**

She sent back irritably, unsure of what the brunette had to be so fucking smug about. _She'd_ obviously swiped right also.

**nah, mine was a mistake.**

**accidentally tapped the little green heart before I could swipe left.**

Piper stared at her screen in disbelief. No. There was no way. She was lying. She had to be lying. She was being her usual stupid asshole _Alex Vause_ self.

**you are so full of shit.**

She sent back. She must have been full out glaring at her phone now because Polly paused her rant about Pete's fear of commitment to shoot her a confused look.

"What's wrong?"

Piper glanced up from the offending object, catching Polly's concerned expression. "Nothing. Sorry. Go on."

Her gaze lingered on the blonde in soft suspicion a moment longer before she launched back into her tirade.

Piper nodded and murmured along at her friend's rants, eyes flicking back to the dark screen of her phone every few seconds, awaiting the brunette's reply.

_Figures_. Alex was always one to start shit but the second Piper got confrontational she'd concede to Nicky's inevitably haggard _"give it a rest you two."_

Piper rolled her eyes in disgust, there was no point in waiting for a reply that would never come from this woman. She should just unmatch her now and save them both the trouble.

Her phone lit up.

**ALEX SENT YOU A NEW MESSAGE**

Piper's gaze flicked from the phone on the table before her to Polly, currently flipping through a magazine and giving commentary on whatever life decisions Kim Kardashian was supposedly currently making.

She casually slipped the phone off the table, unlocking it and opening tinder with strained slowness. She would not _rush_ for anything Alex Vause. Alex Vause was not worth it.

**you caught me.**

**I think you're pretty fucking hot.**

**in fact, I'd have probably buried myself knuckle deep in you ages ago if you weren't so infuriatingly pretentious.**

Piper ignored the slight flutter that danced through her stomach (she also told herself she was imaging the small rush of heat between her legs), instead opting for the more immediate emotion flowing through her.

**_I'M_ PRETENTIOUS?**

She furiously dropped her phone back onto the table before her, reaching swiftly for her coffee and taking a burning angry gulp. The NERVE of this woman! What in the world did Nicky see in her.

**yes.**

**revoltingly so.**

**but it's okay.**

**I'll still go down on you anyway. ;)**

Piper's eyebrows shot up to her hairline as she read the brunette's response. And then read it again. And then reread it.

"Piper?" Polly's voice once again snapped her out of her reverie.

Her gaze shot up from her phone to the vaguely annoyed expression of her friend. "Huh?"

Polly pursed her lips in mild irritation, rolling her eyes before diverting her attention back to her magazine. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Pol, I'm…" Her gaze dropped back to her phone. The tiny black letters glowing tauntingly at her. "It's fine. I'm fine. Continue."

**that's awfully confidant of you.**

**what makes you so sure I'd let you?**

She was losing ground in this weird repartee they'd somehow established. She needed to pull herself back together. She needed to knock that smug bitch down a peg. Or two. Or six.

**I've seen the way you look at me.**

Alright, Alex. Two can play at this game.

**Is that so?**

The responses were immediate now.

**It is.**

Both of them suddenly too involved to waste anymore time.

**Okay. You're right.**

**I find you attractive.**

**I realized I was picturing myself sitting on that smug face of yours when I came across your profile, so yes, I swiped right.**

Alex's responses halted. Piper grinned in satisfied glee.

She placed her phone back on the table, flicking her gaze back to Polly as she took another sip of her coffee. Good riddance, Alex Vause.

She was just beginning to zone out of Polly's newest topic when her phone finally buzzed with a reply.

**ALEX SENT YOU A NEW MESSAGE**

**where are you?**

Piper furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she read the new message.

**why?**

Her eyes swept the room quickly, apprehensively as if expecting the brunette woman to suddenly appear.

**accept my snapchat request.**

Piper's thumbs hovered over the small letters of the chat, about to tap out a properly scathing response as to why she would never _ever_ have any reason _whatsoever_ to accept _any_ sort of social media friend request from _Alex Vause_ when her phone chimed with a new notification.

**VAUSEBITCH ADDED YOU ON SNAPCHAT**

Seriously? Piper rolled her eyes (a small comfort, she was _not_ conceding to Alex Vause if she was rolling her eyes in disgust as she tapped the ADD button in the snapchat app, and she was definitely _not_ eagerly anticipating whatever play this woman was gunning for next).

**NEW SNAPCHAT FROM VAUSEBITCH**

Piper's eyes once again flicked to Polly (now absently flicking through the newest issue of cosmo, still engrossed in whatever it was she assumed Piper was listening to her talk about), as she thumbed open Alex's newest tactic in their weird little battle.

Her gaze flicked back to her phone as the picture blinked onto her screen, and Piper suddenly found herself clutching her phone a little tighter.

Alex Vause.

Alex Vause's ample cleavage.

Alex Vause, her ample cleavage, and that infuriatingly smug smirk.

**SO U SAID SMTH ABT SITTING ON MY FACE?**

Piper continued to stare at her phone as the picture disappeared. She had been wearing a white v-neck that left very little to the imagination and Piper closed her eyes against the sudden image of herself sitting in Alex Vause's lap, ripping that delectably teasing piece of fabric over that infuriatingly smug smirk and off that achingly toned body completely. _Fuck_.

Her phone vibrated once more in her hand, pulling her abruptly from her cloudy thoughts, alerting her to the fact that she'd been day dreaming about Alex's snapchat for just a moment too long. _FUCK_.

**I'm gonna take your silence to mean you liked it.**

**you're welcome.**

**though I notice you didn't save it.**

**do you need me to send you another one?**

Her nostrils flared in annoyance. Annoyance definitely caused by Alex Vause's over inflated ego and in no way having to do with her words being correct in any way.

**don't forget to save this one**

**NEW SNAPCHAT FROM VAUSEBITCH**

Piper's gaze flicked to Polly before opening the new message.

The white v-neck was gone. Piper couldn't tear her eyes away from the black lace bra if she'd wanted to (which she stubbornly tried to convince herself she _did_).

**you didn't save that one either.**

**geez, kid.**

**I'm kinda feeling like you're not really appreciating my generosity here.**

Her thumbs were flying across the keypad before she really knew what she was doing. She was losing ground in their war and it was completely unacceptable. If Alex Vause wanted to push this Piper Chapman would _push it_.

**I haven't seen anything worth saving yet.**

It was her first response in several minutes and it absolutely _shattered_ whatever sort of upper hand Alex Vause would ever think she'd had. _Check and mate, Alex_. Effectively having backed the older woman into a corner, she smirked. Alex would either have to give up her little gambit or take the next step in her incautious strategical power play, which Piper knew she would _never_ do.

Her phone was silent for all of eighty two seconds.

**NEW SNAPCHAT FROM VAUSEBITCH**

The black lace bra was gone.

The game shifted.

Piper saved the image.

The image itself was textless. Nothing but Alex's skin, and Alex's tits, and Alex's face. And that smirk. That smirk ever present smirk was still adorning her angular features only suddenly it seemed to hold more weight.

The image itself was textless, but Alex's face held all the unspoken words Piper needed.

_How about now?_

**ah so that's what it takes to impress you.**

**show a little skin.**

**Piper Chapman you dirty little minx.**

The air of _immediateness_ that had been dictating their small war had suddenly dissipated and Piper found herself sliding her fingers along the sides of her phone as she pondered her reply. Everything suddenly seemed to tense in a slow suspense. _Dangerous_. Piper thought. Alex Vause is _dangerous_.

**well.**

**now I have something to look at every time I ask myself why the hell you have such an over inflated ego.**

Alex's replies are still immediate and Piper wonders for a second if she ever truly had the upper hand over the brunette at all.

**I just fulfilled one of your secret fantasies and you're still giving me attitude.**

**but I'll take the compliment.**

**I'm well mannered like that.**

Piper huffed a soft laugh.

**you're gonna have to work a little harder than that if you want to get into my good graces, Alex.**

She took a small sip of now cold coffee to sooth her nerves. Not school girl crush nerves, more like _I'm dancing with a dangerous animal who could potentially turn from playful to deadly if I take one wrong step_ sort of nerves.

**it's not your good graces I want into, Piper.**

The replay was immediately followed by another image.

Alex's thighs were visible now, giving way to shapely hips encased in somewhat familiar black lace. She was still shirtless, and most likely still smirking. Piper could only assume on this part, though, for the picture cut off at her bold collar bones.

**it's an appreciative view.**

**but not want I meant.**

Piper's fingers drummed across the table, she could no longer tell if Polly was still speaking to her or not. She could no longer tell if Polly was even in the room if she was being honest (and somewhere along the line she and Alex had certainly become _honest_).

**that's alright.**

**I'm kinda liking the fiery temper.**

**it kinda turns me on.**

Piper rolled her eyes.

**I'm sure.**

Another message popped up.

**I'm serious.**

Another picture arrived.

Alex Vause's fingers. Alex Vause's very wet, very sticky fingers. Her thighs and those lace underwear were still visible in the blurry background.

"Oh my god." Piper whispered before she could stop herself.

"What?" Polly's annoyed tone gave way to exasperated impatience. "Piper, who the fuck are you talking to?"

"No one." Piper all but squeaked out quickly. "No one, Polly, I'm- it's unimportant. Okay? I just. I'm _listening_, I swear!"

Her phone vibrated and she returned her full attention to the screen.

**you can't seriously still be playing coy at this.**

Her eyes flicked over Alex's words before jumping up to the last message she sent to the brunette. _Okay_. She'd accidentally crossed wires during her placating Polly. She'd sent Alex a very abrupt _Okay_. Her unintentional response gave her pause. Maybe it hadn't been unintentional at all. Maybe it'd been subconscious. Because maybe Alex was right. What the hell point was there to continue playing at aloofness? Alex was obviously willing to take this as far as Piper desired and Piper suddenly found herself _desiring_.

Alex's assholeness, Polly's annoyance, and this whole damn coffee shop be damned.

**no, you're right. I'm not.**

**show me more.**

She could practically feel the smirk that was surely working it's way across the brunette's face right now.

**what exactly am I getting out of it?**

Her response was immediate. Alex could ruin her with the bold truth of her pictures, Piper could ruin _her_ with the bold truth of her words. She'd told her to stop being coy. Piper was done being coy.

**the satisfaction of knowing I absolutely want to fuck you right now.**

A new picture came in. Alex's face was once again present, bold white text scrawled out just underneath it.

**are you wet?**

Alex's fingers were wrapped tightly around her nipple, her mouth open in soft exclamation, all sharp teeth and wet lips.

**yes.**

Piper's fingers had barely left the screen of her reply before a new notification lit her screen.

A video.

Her thumb hovered over the purple box for all of half a second.

Alex's hand was moving inside the black lace still adorning her hips.

Very deliberately.

Piper watched Alex Vause finger herself for ten seconds. Ten seconds that felt like ten years.

The video disappeared, leaving a new message in it's wake.

**where are you?**

It had been a playful request last time, but Piper could sense the urgency in the small letters this time around.

**The Starbucks off 8th.**

**where are you?**

She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, suddenly all too hot, too jittery, too anxious. Squeezing her thighs together she shot a quick glance at Polly before returning her gaze to the phone before her. Come on, Alex, any fucking day now would be good.

**My apartment.**

**It's nearby.**

**I'll send you the address.**

Piper shot out of her seat the second the small collection of numbers and letters lit up her screen. Polly glanced up in alarm at her sudden movements.

"The fuck, Pipes? Where's the fire."

She could only manage inconsistent muttering as she stumbled out of her seat, shoving her chair hastily into the table, her mind on _other_ things. "I uh, I um, I have to- I have to go, Pol. I have... um... I have to go."

Polly watched in annoyed confusion as she stumbled backwards towards the doors of the coffee shop in haste, her voice small and fading as she called after her retreating friend. "_Piper_!? What the fuck!?"

It took her six minutes and forty seven seconds to make it to Alex's apartment.

It took Alex three seconds to open the door.

Alex Vause's strong arm fisting against the collar of her t-shirt and dragging her gasping lips against her own is the last thing Piper takes note of before losing herself in the haze of lust that had been steadily building since she'd swiped right on tinder one long torturous battle ago.

Nicky, of course, can tell _immediately_ when she sees them later that week.

Laughing explosively, she can barely compose herself long enough to wheeze out "_I FUCKING KNEW YOU TWO'D BE PERFECT_."

They can't quite bring themselves to hate her as much as they'd quietly planned to.


	6. Chapter 6

_[Imagine your OTP are not together yet, and they go swimming (bonus if it's with friends). In one way or another, they get into a splashing war, and Person A, realizing they have feelings for Person B, pulls B underwater for a kiss. Person B's reaction is completely up to you.] **[M RATING]**_

* * *

><p>"Chapman would yah calm down?" Nicky Nichols murmured quietly into the soft breeze of the summer night as she hoists herself over the fence surrounding the local country club's very exquisite, very private pool. Her friend, Piper Chapman, currently stood below her clutching a cooler full of smuggled goods (very courteously, albeit unknowingly) supplied from Nicky's mother's liquor cabinet. Digging the heels of her foot against the fence to steady herself, she reached down, gesturing for Piper to begin handing her the "supplies".<p>

"I still don't see why we can't just do this in _your_ pool." Piper muttered, hefting the cooler up to Nicky's waiting hands.

"Because sneaking in is half the fun." A voice behind Piper cut through the darkness, causing her to jump. She whirled to face the new presence.

"Vause!" Nicky laughed from atop the fence. "Well put, my friend, well put."

"Alex..." Piper murmured.

Alex Vause. Nicky's mysteriously alluring friend. They'd met a handful of times before. Through various parties of Nicky's and other assorted nights of general debauchery. The tall brunette currently stood a few steps away, eyeing Piper quietly, small smirk tugging at her lips. Piper could never really figure out what exactly it was, but there was definitely _something_ about Alex Vause that seemed to pull at her like a moth to flame.

"Piper." Alex grinned, a hint of teeth flashing slightly against the darkness of the gathering night.

"I didn't..." Piper faltered, eyes never leaving the older girl as she moved closer, coming to stand before her. "I didn't know you were coming."

"Oh. Chapman. I invited Vause. Forgot to tell you." Nicky quipped from the top of the fence (rolling her eyes, no doubt, despite the fact that Piper could not see her).

Alex chuckled softly, briefly breaking eye contact to watch Nicky jump down from her perch. Piper cleared her throat, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she composed herself. Something about Alex Vause always seemed to mesmerize her, much to her embarrassment (though it never seemed like it was to anything less than Alex's _amusement_).

"Lorna and the others are already here." Nicky called, beginning her trek towards the pool. "Feel free to join us whenever you're finished eye fucking."

"Would you like some help?" Alex smirked, ignoring her friend's parting comments.

"Help?" Piper murmured.

"Over the fence." She laughed, eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Oh. Right. Yeah. I mean no! I mean. I think I can manage." Piper fumbled out before turning to pull herself up the fence. Alex hovered at her back arms slightly raised to spot her as she pulled herself up and over before dropping down on the other side. Following quickly after, Alex landed beside her in a slight crouch.

"C'mon."

They made their way leisurely after the whooping group of kids and into the illuminated area of the pool. Alex was watching her closely as they walked and Piper's curiosity finally got the best of her as she turned to face the older girl's quietly shining gaze.

"What?" She asked, somewhat nervously.

Alex smiled knowingly before casting her gaze towards the growing activity before them. "Just glad you came. Nicky told me you weren't sure you were going to."

"Well," Piper sighed with slight annoyance. "Nicky can be _quite persuasive_ when she wants to be."

Alex barked out a warm laugh as she nodded quietly. "Yes, she can be."

"I would have RSVP'd sooner if she had mentioned you were coming." Piper murmured softly as they joined the group, meeting Alex's eyes meaningfully before ducking to grab a drink and allow herself to be whisked away by a loud and excited Taystee and Poussey. Alex's eyes trailed after her in pleasantly surprised reverie as the blonde was pulled quickly into the night. Chuckling to herself quietly she leaned to grab her own drink before joining the festivities.

They small party had been in full swing for a little over an hour by the time she spotted Piper again.

Alex was pleasantly buzzed as she leaned against her elbows at the edge of the pool, slowly polishing off her latest drink as a pair of legs dipped into the water beside her. Casting her gaze sideways she found herself grinning as her eyes came to land on Piper Chapman.

"Hey."

"_Hey_."

They studied each other for a moment as their friends carried on around them.

"What're you doing over here all by your lonesome?" Piper teased.

"Enjoying the party without actually _participating_ in the party." Alex replied, waving her empty bottle across the water.

"Alex Vause, uninterested in a perfectly good party?" Piper mock gasped. "It must be a sign of the apocalypse."

Alex chuckled deep in her throat as she eyed Piper appreciatively and Piper blamed the shiver running through her bones on the gentle breeze and cool water of the pool. "Well I had kind of made plans for a quiet, _intimate_ night in with my bed, but... as you said yourself, Nicky can be very persuasive."

"Ah. So we were _both_ strong armed into this lovely gathering."

"It would appear so."

Their eyes met once more and they watched each other silently, the rest of the party fading quietly into the background before a large splash broke them apart, causing them to turn towards the center of the pool where a spluttering Bennett began shouting at Mendez and O'Neill who stood laughing at the edge from where they'd thrown the smaller man into the pool. Someone loudly declared a water war as squirt guns began going off and bodies began tumbling into the choppy water.

Taystee and Nicky launched themselves in, dragging them into the fray and they soon found themselves partaking in the wild fight.

Chaos quickly erupted across the once still pool as muffled screams and the sound of splashing water echoed into the night. Piper found herself laughing giddily after heaving a particularly large armful into Alex's face, knocking her glasses askew. Growling playfully, Alex fixed her with a mock glare as she fixed her glasses atop her head before lunging. Piper tried in vain to leap away before Alex's arms enclosed around her. She laughed breathlessly as they struggled against each other and the rolling water of the pool. She turned towards Alex, slippery in each other's grip, and pleaded uncle.

"Oh no." Alex laughed, "You think I'm going to fall for that one again? This is what we in the business call _payback_, Chapman."

Piper let out one final shriek before Alex pulled her below the surface of the crashing waves. The world went still as the noise and chaos of the war above faded away under the water. Piper's eyes fluttered open momentarily, sweeping across this undisturbed world of peace below the surface. Alex's face swam before hers and their eyes locked for half a second before Alex's lips were against her own.

They kissed languidly, Piper's arm raising to tangle against the hair at the base of Alex's neck, pulling her lips more roughly into her own. Alex's hands squeezed at her hips as she tugged their bodies closer, legs entangling in the still waters. They breached for air all at once, lungs screaming. Eyeing each other quietly as they caught their breath, Piper absently noted that her back had come to rest against the far edge of the pool. The water of the pool lapped gently at her chin as she ducked below the water a little more before pushing her lips against Alex's again. Alex met her eagerly once more as their lips danced against each other and they bobbed through the dancing tide of the water.

Their friends continued laughing and shrieking and splashing behind them as they got lost in one another's touch. They'd managed to push themselves to a more secluded section of the pool in their struggle, which they now took great advantage of as their kisses grew hungrier. Alex's thumb was stroking rhythmically against her hip, dipping ever so slightly below the hem of her bikini with every downward stroke. They kept their shoulders submerged, allowing the water to lick against their chins and jaws as they stayed low in the darkness of the water and the night.

Alex's mouth moved to caress Piper's neck against the rocking water as Piper gasped softly against her jaw. Her fingers tightened in Alex's hair as her leg rose to curl around her hips. Alex's hand braced against the wall behind her as her other hand moved to cup Piper's other thigh, pulling her fully into her lap. Piper's legs wrapped tightly around Alex's hips as Alex's hand ran up her back, cupping the base of her neck and angling her head against her for better access as her tongue slipped into Piper's mouth. They broke apart once again after several moments of quiet exploration of each other's mouths. Their foreheads tipped against one another as they caught their fading breath.

Alex's eyes searched Piper's silently as Piper's darted between each of Alex's shining irises. Pulling away from her gently, Alex entangled their fingers and pulled Piper towards the ladder. Someone called after them briefly as they climbed from the pool, but their attention was only on each other as they slipped quietly towards the hot tubs across the garden.

Piper slid into the steamy waters and turned to face Alex, who stood paused at the edge of the small pool watching her. Their eyes locked as Piper moved to lean against the far edge of the tub, stretching out invitingly. Alex's eyes darkened as they trailed across Piper's taut muscles. She took a deep breath before lowering herself into the water and gliding towards Piper's waiting body. They hesitated slightly, searching one another, before connecting their lips once more, this time slowly. They explored one another's mouths without haste as Alex's hand trailed gently up and down Piper's side before coming to rest against her ribs, just under the top portion of her suit. Her thumb grazed the underside of Piper's chest as they kissed serenely.

Piper arched into the slight touch, gasping softly against Alex's persistent lips. Her legs rose once more to circle her waist, drawing their bodies closer as Alex's thumb delved beneath the fabric of her bikini top, brushing lightly against her now taut nipple. Throwing her head back with a gasp, Piper shuddered against Alex's teasing touch. Alex wasted no time kissing a trail from Piper's jaw to her shoulder, pausing to suck gently at the place where her neck and shoulder met. Her wandering hand pushed Piper's top away from her chest as her free hand came up to tug the garment loose completely. Piper inhaled sharply as the chilled night air mingled with the cooling water of the hot tub against her newly exposed chest.

Alex's lips dropped to map their way across her collarbone and down her chest, enclosing around a tight nipple. She suckled tenderly at Piper's chest as Piper's fingers tangled gently in her hair. "_Alex_." She breathed almost inaudibly, afraid to break the heavy silence but powerless to stop herself. Alex hummed softly against her chest, the vibrations sending shivers through her body, as her teeth scraped lightly against her nipple. Her right hand splayed across Piper's shoulder blades as her left rose to tug at the neglected nipple.

Their hips pushed against each other as Piper ground her pelvis against Alex's lap, desperate for any sort of friction. Alex pulled away from her chest to bury her teeth in Piper's bottom lip, pulling slightly before reconnecting their lips fully. Her hand trailed down Piper's stomach, dancing teasingly over the material of her bathing suit bottoms as the girl's hips ground desperately into Alex's barely there touches. Piper's hands slid down Alex's shoulders, tangling against the straps of her top and tugging wantingly. Pulling her hand away from Piper's grinding hips for a moment, Alex reached behind herself to loosen her own bikini top before throwing it carelessly into the water.

They gasped sharply as their chests brushed, nipples scraping against one another deliciously. "_Uh_." Piper grunted breathlessly, her head falling back, allowing Alex access to her fully exposed neck. Alex's teeth scraped gently down the column of her throat as her hand returned to tease at the material between Piper's legs. She pulled their bodies closer, tightening her legs around Alex's hips as Alex's fingers slide slowly under the fabric of her suit. Her fingers teased gently at Piper's folds before grazing against her opening. Piper arched her back, stretching against Alex as her thumb brushed against her clit. She rubbed lightly at Piper's opening as her tongue caressed the younger girl's chest, fingers just barely dipping into a wetness that had nothing to do with the pool of water they were currently sitting in. Her fingers slipping in and out with shallow dips as Piper's hips flexed in vain for deeper contact.

"Alex." She whispered breathlessly as the frivolous movement of her hips failed to encourage the older girl further. "_Please_."

It all happened at once as Alex stretched up to capture her lips once again, her fingers suddenly plunging deep into the heat of Piper's core as she swallowed the young girl's gasps. Piper tensed for a moment at the new sensation of Alex's fingers filling her before shuddering with deep, pleased contentment. Alex's hand had stilled, allowing for Piper to set the pace when ready. She enjoyed the stillness of their connection as their mouths moved against each other rhythmically.

They broke apart for a breath and Piper's hips began their push and pull motion once more, gently at first, hesitant to pull away from Alex's fingers for however brief a time it took her to raise up so she could slide back down into the girl's open palm. Alex grunted against her lips as Piper ground herself into Alex's up-turned palm with every downward thrust of her hips. She pulled their mouths apart to bury her teeth against the skin of Piper's throat, sucking gently between her tender bites as the girl steadily fucked herself on her hand.

Piper began to grow more vocal as her thrusts picked up speed, her fingers digging painfully into Alex's neck and shoulders as she scrambled for leverage. Abruptly she was filled with a sense of loss as her mind struggled to catch up with what had just happened. Alex's hands squeezed around her waist as her mind began piecing together the realization that Alex's palm was no longer cupping her cunt. Her walls pulsed adamantly against the loss of Alex's fingers as her body was quickly heaved from the water of the tub and onto the cool concrete of the pool deck. She arched her back against the jarring sensation of the cold ground where there had just been heated water as Alex spread her on her back before her, taking advantage of Piper's raising hips to rid her of her final scrap of bathing suit. She blinked dazedly down at the older girl as she positioned herself between Piper's trembling thighs, hooking one of her legs over her shoulder as she drug her hips closer to the edge of the basin.

"_Al-_" Her voice and whatever question she'd been brewing on her lips trailed off in a soft gasping whine as Alex's tongue traced a line up her center. Piper's free hand flew to tangle in the older girl's dark tresses as her other hand searched blindly behind her for something to grasp and anchor herself to the reality with. Alex's mouth worked avidly between her legs as her hand trailed soothing up and down Piper's side. She thrust her hips hungrily against Alex's face as her tongue prodded the warm entrance of her cunt. "_Fuck_." She gasped as Alex devoured her greedily.

Her heel dug desperately into Alex's firm shoulders as the brunette raised her free hand to once again slide herself into Piper's throbbing heat. Sucking steadily at her swollen, pulsing clit, Alex grinned against the warmth of Piper's cunt as she felt the younger girl's fingers tangle with her own atop her heaving chest. Her whines were growing heavier as her hips thrust steadily against Alex's mouth and fingers. Her walls tightening to near painfulness around Alex's hand as her body went rigid before convulsing suddenly with a heavy shudder. Alex continued to pump gently in and out of her as Piper's core pulsed rhythmically around her fingers, her tongue gently tracing the fluttering entrance of Piper's opening as she comes down from her high.

Piper exhaled with a soft and gentle sigh as Alex slowly slid her fingers from her sensitive warmth. She watched as Alex studied her fingers for a moment, sticky with the remnants of Piper's orgasm, before sliding them into her mouth. She moaned, just slightly, as they fell from her mouth, eyes locking with Piper's still heated, hazy gaze. Pulling herself lazily up Piper's body, still half submerged in the water of the Jacuzzi, a lazy grin tugged charmingly at the corners of her mouth.

"_Hey_."

Piper regarded her silently, still not entirely sure of her own actuality, before bringing a hand up to tuck a wayward strand of raven hair behind her ear as Alex rests her chin atop her hands on Piper's ribs. "_Hey_."

Alex laughs gently, giddily, as she raises to pull Piper gently back into the water of the small pool. She allows herself to slide willingly into Alex's embrace as the warm water laps gently at her gooseprickled flesh. Alex's neck is all too inviting and Piper buries her face against it with a quiet contented sigh as Alex's arms wrap around her in a lose hug. They're rocking gently with the lazy waves of the water when Piper's eyes begin to droop slightly as Alex's fingers weave gently through the hair at her temple.

They continued to float in silence for awhile, the soft hoots of their friends occasionally carrying along on the gentle night breeze.

"You alright." Alex asked eventually, tilting her chin to catch the blonde's eye.

"Yeah." Piper murmured, moving to meet Alex's gently expectant gaze. "That was..."

"_Awful_?" She teased.

A small laugh slipped through her lips as she moved against Alex's lap, pulling herself so they were eye level. "Yes. Awful."

They regarded each other in amusement as Alex hummed out an agreeable chuckle. Piper found herself once again drawn to the curve of her teasing lips. They kissed slowly for a moment before drawing back to gaze at one another.

"I'm glad that..." Piper began, hesitantly. "I mean I've always..."

Alex watched her silently, hands trailing in smooth patterns from her shoulders to the small of her back as she waited for Piper to collect her thoughts. Letting out a soft huff, she ducked her head to drop a gentle kiss against Alex's mouth. "_Thank you_."

Their eyes met again as Alex's hand trailed across her jaw, caressing her cheek, before sliding deftly into her hair and tugging their mouths together once more. They continued to kiss leisurely as Alex's back connected gently with the far wall of the hot tub. Piper's knees shifted from Alex's lap to bench below her as she straddled her, their kisses growing more heated.

"_I think it's your turn_." She whispered heatedly against Alex's ear, drawing the lobe between her teeth and tugging lightly.

Alex moaned deep in her throat as her hands to rose to cup Piper's hips. "_Are you sure_?"

Piper grinned against Alex's heating skin as she trailed a hand down her chest, pausing to flick her thumb against the straining nipple. "_Pretty sure_."

Their eyes met briefly, a silent heated exchange, before their lips crashed together once more. Alex's fingers dug imploringly into the skin of Piper's hips, leaving small blue-black indentations against the bone. They slid down to squeeze the tops of her thighs before Piper took them in her own hands, pinning them against the wall on either side of Alex's shoulders. "_Ah, ah_... _your_ turn."

Groaning quietly Alex's fingers entwined with Piper's briefly before the blonde's hands relaxed, sliding gently down her arms. She left Alex's lips to trail soft kisses across her slick collarbones, stopping only when she reached her peaked nipples. "I love your tits." She murmured appreciatively against Alex's slightly heaving chest as she trailed a finger teasingly around a nipple, careful not to brush against the tightened skin.

"_Piper_." Alex growled.

Piper flicked a short amused glance at the brunette's contorted scowl. "Hmm?" She hummed.

She grit her teeth, refusing to buckle under the blonde's teasing ministrations.

Piper blew a soft stream of cool air against the already straining nipple, causing Alex to jerk wildly as the cold burst of air mixed with the cooling water of the hot tub still clinging in droplets across her chest. Alex's hand clamped firmly against Piper's hair as she continued to torture her aching nipple, her chest heaving heavily with every breath. Piper watched her intently as she brought one of her fingers up to trail just barely over the tip of Alex's nipple, grinning as Alex's hand tightened reflexively against her hair.

Her head tilted down and they stilled as their eyes met before Piper moved to suck the tightened swell of skin into her hot mouth. An explosive gasping sigh fell from Alex's lips as Piper began to suck at the straining nipple, her free hand moving to tug at the other one. She grunted breathlessly as Piper's lips worked deftly over her aching chest. Piper hummed softly against her as she moved to take the other nipple into her wanting mouth. She worked Alex into a thorough state of arousal before finally disconnecting herself from the older girl's chest, pausing to inhale deeply, her nose brushing gently against Alex's hyper sensitive nipple.

"Your nipples smell like marzipan." She murmured thoughtfully, trailing a quick thumb along it before pulling away from the overly sensitized bud.

"_What_?" Alex panted, attempting to reign herself in.

A small laugh slipped through the grin slowly tugging at Piper's lips as she leaned up to capture Alex's mouth with her own once more. "Nothing."

Alex hummed affectionately against her lips as she kissed her slowly, her fingers dancing delicately from her ribs to her stomach. Her once tight grip against Piper's hair loosened as Alex's fingers moved to squeeze appreciatively at the base of Piper's neck. "I don't think anyone's ever shown my tits such admiration before." She husked against Piper's grinning lips.

"I told you, I like them."

"I believe you said you _love_ them." Her confident cocky tone faltered to a gasp as Piper pinched roughly at one of her nipples with a playful glare.

"Keep it up, Vause." She murmured against the older girl's teeth with a smirk.

"Fuck." Alex shuddered. "Who knew you were such a tease."

"Tease implies I'm leaving you hanging." Piper murmured, flicking her tongue quickly against Alex's bottom lip. "Trust me when I say I am _absolutely_ going to be getting you off. You just need a lesson or two in patience."

A tangled mix between a groan and growl slipped from the back of Alex's throat as Piper's tongue delved between her lips before quickly retreating. Her hands rose to cup either side of Alex's neck as she angled the brunette's mouth against hers the way she wanted. She gasped softly as the space between her thighs brushed slightly against Alex's stomach. "_Uhnn_... get out of the pool." She suddenly demanded with a moaning whisper.

Alex eyed her skeptically for half a second before succumbing to her will and hoisting herself out of the water backwards. Piper crawled up with her, settling her heat over Alex's stomach as she pushed the older girl to lie on her back, her legs still dangling over the edge of the tub and into the water. Their chests slid against each other as she leaned to place a hungry kiss against Alex's parted lips, and again she she slowly pulled herself into a seated position over the brunette. Her knees squeezed in disconnected pulses against Alex's ribs as she slid her hot cunt along Alex's slick stomach. Alex's arms rose to once again clutch desperately at Piper's gyrating hips.

They let out tangled panted moans as Alex watched Piper's slick wet heat slide against her stomach and Piper watched Alex's fixated stare. She trailed her hands down her body as her hips stilled, waiting for Alex's attention to refocus on her new movements. Alex's eyes darkened and Piper grinned as she tweaked her own nipples lightly, before sliding a hand further down the plains of her stomach. She could feel bruises forming under Alex's tense grip across her hips and she panted lightly at the thought of Alex's fingerprints remaining on her skin even after they part.

She watched the older girl closely as she trailed her fingers through her own folds, dipping lightly at her entrance before plunging deeply into her own wetness. Alex moaned loudly as she watched Piper's fingers slide through her heat with practiced ease. Eventually pulling her fingers free, she studied the sticky coating of her own arousal clinging wetly to her hand. She flicked her gaze to Alex briefly, holding the brunette's hardened gaze for a moment before reaching behind her to slip her hand beneath Alex's suit bottoms and trail her coated fingers against Alex's pulsating opening. Alex's hips bucked violently against her slight touch, causing Piper to momentarily lose focus as Alex's stomach brushed against her own pounding cunt.

She braced her free hand against Alex's taut stomach to steady herself and prevent Alex from throwing her as her still sticky fingers circled Alex's soaked entrance once, twice, her thumb swiping against her clit quickly, before sliding her fingers deep into Alex's waiting heat. Alex shuddered wildly at the sensation of Piper's fingers curling into her and the thought of Piper's juices mixing beautifully with her own. She was close. Piper knew it. Her walls clamped almost painfully against Piper's fingers as she pulled them out nearly completely before thrusting them back in with quick fervor. She fucked Alex hard as Alex's cunt pulsated and Alex's lungs struggled for breath and Alex's stomach flexed beneath her hand.

"Ohmygod. _Piper_!" She cried as her body began to convulse with pleasure. Piper continued to thrust her fingers in and out of Alex's opening as her world exploded around her, gradually slowing her pace as she eased the older girl through her orgasm.

Finally coming to a halt as Alex's hips stilled in their thrashing and her walls only fluttered with the occasional stray pulse of reluctant completion, Piper pulled her fingers slowly from Alex's sensitive core. She studied her coated fingers once again before bringing them to her lips with a tentative hesitance. She only faltered for a moment before sliding them between her lips, sucking what was left of Alex's arousal from her skin. Alex's eyes flashed dangerously as she rose abruptly, one hand snaking quickly behind Piper's back, pulling their slick and heated bodies together, the other pulling Piper's fingers from her mouth to capture her glistening lips with her own.

Their lips moved together languidly before the eventual need for air pulled them apart once again, their foreheads tilting to connect gently.

"_Wow_." Alex whispered against Piper's lips as they attempted to regain their breathing. Either of them had yet opened their eyes, a quiet attempt to prolong the feeling of their skin brushing, and the sound of their lungs heaving.

A soft exhale swept from Piper's lips to dance across Alex's, her blue eyes finally opening to meet Alex's. "_Yeah_."

Chuckling softly, giddily, Alex dropped another kiss against Piper's lips before allowing her gaze to sweep across the area around them. Piper sank bonelessly against her lap as the older girl swept a blind hand behind her, searching for her glasses. After a moment of quiet fumbling she managed to locate them and slipped them deftly over her eyes.

"Ugh." Alex sighed as she eyed the Jacuzzi before them. Bits and pieces of their suits lay clinging to the wet concrete, Piper's top floating dolefully along on the slight current of the gentle water.

"Mmm." Piper murmured.

Reaching around the lethargic blonde in her lap, Alex scooped the various pieces of their missing suits into her hands. "C'mon kid."

"Mmm." Piper hummed again, pulling herself from the warmth of Alex's lap to take the garments being offered to her.

They dressed slowly, standing before the now defiled hot tub. "We should probably get back, Nicky's bound to come looking for us soon." Alex sighed, pausing. "I'm kind of surprised she hasn't _already_, to be honest."

"'Probably on the other side of the club doing the same thing with Lorna." Piper mumbled, sliding into now cold top.

Alex hummed a chuckle in response as they turned to face each other once more, reaching out to adjust a crooked or twisted strap before catching one another's gaze and stilling for a moment. A soft smile spread across Alex's face as she studied the girl before her, sliding a palm across her jaw, caressing her cheek, and burying her fingers in blonde hair as she tugged their lips together once more.

They walked back to the group hand in hand, stooping to pick up empty bottles and towels as the rest of the group packed up their things.

"Aye, Vause, Chapman, where the fuck _you two_ been all night?" Nicky called cheekily.

"Around." Alex replied.

"Yeah, I bet you been _around_." She muttered teasingly. "Listen just do me a favor, a'right? I am gonna be nursing a _massive_ hangover tomorrow so could yah keep it down when you're sneakin' into each other's rooms later for round two? I'd like to get _some_ sleep tonight and I just don't have the time to listen to you two goin' at it like rabbits all night."

"Fuck off, Nichols." Alex laughed as Piper fought a blush she really should be used to by this point.

It was relatively quiet as they made their way to fence this time, hushed arguments about who would be staying in which rooms of the Nichols house, soft teasing about various events of the night, the occasional light banter. Piper leaned her head against Alex's shoulder as they trailed behind their laughing friends. And as Alex Vause helped her over the fence and back into the awaiting summer night Piper Chapman couldn't help but think that Chapman family outings to the country club were never quite going to be the same (but she found herself deciding that that wasn't really such a bad thing).

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><p>(I meant to leave this at the end of Radioactive, but I forgot, so I'm going to just toss it here.) I want to take a moment to thank everyone for the reviews and follows. I don't get much of a chance to reply to them personally but I do read and appreciate them all. I kind of felt bad for the length of time between this update and the last one, considering that last time I was in a creative period and churning things out left and right, and then (probably appeared to have) just suddenly stopped. So here's a somewhat large smut filled chapter hopefully to convey how sorry I am for the lack of updates recently and to hold you over until I can get back into that steady flowing creative place (and some free time).<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

inspired by the song _Cool Kids_ by Echosmith

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><p>It started slowly.<p>

Fleeting glances across crowded rooms, accidental brushes of shoulders or hands in busy hallways.

Piper's eyes would land on Alex Vause as her friends prattled on around her about the latest gossip in the bustling cafeteria. Alex and her own group of friends, a ratty lot, leather jackets, holed jeans, scuffed boots, _edge_. They'd be laughing and egging each other on, shoving one another playfully and yelling out the occasional lewd comment over the din of the crowded room. They were carefree and rebellious, captivating and _cool_. And Piper often found herself quietly envious of their freedom.

She never quite knew why Alex Vause was the main target of her attention, just that it was _she_ who Piper's gaze would linger on when allowing herself these quite moments of wistfulness. She was beautiful, alluring in a mysterious sort of way that Piper couldn't help but find herself drawn to. She'd sit stony-faced and passive in class (_always_ in class, while the rest of her friends were skipping in and out at their leisure Alex Vause was rarely absent, _and maybe_, Piper muses, _maybe this is part of the mystery that makes Alex Vause so interesting_) but her stoicism would always crack wide open when she was among friends, allowing a vibrant smile and shining gaze to bleed through her projected hardass exterior.

Piper wasn't sure Alex even knew she existed as she'd watch her across the cafeteria, imaging herself among their ranks. She doubted Alex would even know her name if anyone pointed her out. But she'd imagine them as friends, herself among the ragtag group of grinning, teasing companions. Alex pursing her lips and sharing her smirk with Piper as they laughed at their friends antics, Alex's arm slung casually along the back of her chair, fingers occasionally brushing against Piper's shoulders as they lounged side by side, Alex's knee bumping lightly against hers as their legs brushed under the table and they leaned into one another.

She always looked away right before Alex's eyes slid to her.

Alex's gaze would seek Piper Chapman out when she ran laps around the school track during gym class. It was her free period, the next to last class of the day, and Alex would spend it smoking on the bleachers with her friends as Piper Chapman ran around in scandalously short shorts and tight white shirt. Piper Chapman was one of the popular girls. The breed of girl who used to torment Alex throughout jr high and elementary school. Effortlessly attractive, valedictorian, trust fund kids who didn't have to work a single day of their life for anything and always managed to look like an advertisement for anything and everything desirable in life. And Alex would never admit it but she'd always envied them.

There was something about Piper Chapman though that set her apart from the rest. A softness, a realness, a _depth_ that the rest of them never quite seemed to have. She was attractive, cute in a gentle sort of way that Alex found herself intrigued by. She'd exude radiance among her friends, a shining sort of glow that called to everyone around her like moths to a flame (hints of a genuine light that the rest of them could never seem to come close to, and Alex would sometimes find herself wondering if she'd burn up into nothing if she ever truly did get close to Piper Chapman) but it was in the look she got when alone, a soft, quiet pensiveness, the slightest touch of melancholy as she allowed the popular girl/perfect daughter facade to fall away.

Alex knew Piper would never spare her the time of day as she'd watch her stretching slowly in the field below, imaging herself leaning into the fence beside her. She figured Piper probably wouldn't have the slightest clue who Alex Vause was if anyone happened to mention her name. But she'd imagine them together, herself beside Piper as she stretched. Piper grinning over her shoulder, giving Alex that beaming smile as she teased her gently about her form, her own hands running over Piper's muscles as she asked her to help her hold her positions, a small trail of goosebumps rising along her neck as Alex's warm breath slid against her skin.

She'd be turning to leave every time Piper's gaze shifted to the bleachers.

It began at a party.

A Nicky Nichols party to be exact. Her parents were old friends of Piper's, _she_ was an old friend of Alex, and it was the perfect impasse of worlds.

Piper had trailed quietly after her friends, it was supposed to be the party of the year. Nicky Nichols never disappointed. They'd tittered about it excitedly all week, eagerly swapping outfit ideas, gossiping about who'd hook up with who. They'd split up fairly quickly, scattering off in search of boys or booze or whatever else was deemed necessary for a good time, leaving Piper to mull about aimlessly by herself. She'd never really been a fan of the parties, attending more because it was expected rather than out of a desire for fun.

She couldn't quite place what it was or when it happened, this disconnect. Piper Chapman had the perfect life. Her parents were well off, she got good grades, she hung out with the right people. She had blonde hair and blue eyes and that soft conventional sort of beauty that made her naturally, effortlessly desirable. Most people knew her name and when she walked through the hallways of the school she was rarely without a surrounding group of equally attractive kids. Piper Chapman was someone who, for all intents and purposes, had it all. But there had always been an underlying gloom, for as long as she can remember, an ever present feeling tugging at the back of her mind that she'd only recently begun to understand as _emptiness_.

She was milling about the punch bowl when she ran into Alex Vause.

Alex hadn't exactly been eager to attend tonight's party. But her mother was working an unexpected double shift and she couldn't spend another night alone in an empty apartment. She'd pulled herself from her bed, slipped into her boots, tugged on her beaten jacket, and made her way to Nicky's. Her friends had been clamoring about this party all week, trading rumors about which of Nicky's "party favors" would be circulating, placing bets on who could hook up with who. Alex was debating whether or not to attempt seeking them out as she pushed her way through the crowd.

She didn't know why she came. She had no desire to be around people tonight, or at _all_ lately, it seemed. She'd been spending most of her time alone anymore, between her mother's increasingly busy work schedule and her friend's disinterest in anything outside their own concerns. She didn't exactly know when this depression started setting in, just that it was slowly eating further and further into her world, fraying at the edges of her vision, tinting the corners of everything she did. She'd recently begun toying with the idea of letting it win.

She was lost in the gloom of her thoughts when she stumbled across Piper Chapman.

Conversation began idly. Piper thanked the alcohol, Alex thanked the crowd. Eventually they found themselves on Nicky's roof, or a small awning of roof running along below the windows of Nicky's room and her mother's. An empty bottle of some sort of alcoholic beverage sat between them, another half empty one being passed silently back and forth as they discussed anything and everything on their minds. They were surprised at how easy it was once the conversation began flowing. Topics of literature and music soon dissolving into more serious discussions regarding Alex's mother and the details of their life (the fear of her growing depression) or Piper's family and their high standards (the slow burning emptiness at the corners of her soul).

They'd lost track of the hour by the time Alex hesitantly (_finally_) pressed her lips to Piper's.

They decided it'd be best left as a secret.

Because deep down they really didn't want to share. It was something best left unhindered by the opinions or comments of Piper's family and friends, best left untarnished by the criticisms and teasing of Alex's gang. Piper would pick Alex up and they'd slip away into the next town, away from prying eyes and judgmental scolding, away from the Piper and Alex everyone expected or thought of them to be.

The slow burn that dictated them for so long fell away as their relationship deepened. Piper's picking Alex up expanding into Alex sneaking through Piper's window, their low voiced discussions over dinner tables stretching into hushed conversations across shared pillows. They fell in love like an igniting fire, sparking quickly and burning slowly. And nothing else mattered.

Things carried on as usual in the halls of school.

They'd pass each other in the hallway without so much as a fleeting glance (though no one noticed a small smile that sometimes broke out upon the softest brush of hands or shoulders), and they'd slide into seats on opposite sides of the classroom with nothing more than the barest flick of attention (but no one noticed when gazes met and lingered for the briefest of seconds, the rest of the world falling away momentarily).

Piper's eyes traced Alex's face as her friends giggled around her over the latest drama, an involuntary smile gracing her lips as Alex's laugh rang through the cafeteria. Her thoughts turning over memories of a movie they'd gone to see together the previous week. Alex had pushed the armrest up and she'd eagerly snuggled into her side as the lights dimmed, Alex's arm snaked around her shoulders, fingers toying absently with the ends of her hair, Alex's warm body pressed tightly against her own as she burrowed deeper into the older girl's warmth.

And she blushed gently every time Alex's eyes slid to her.

Alex's gaze trailed over Piper's body as she ran her daily laps around the track, the smoke of her cigarette releasing from her lungs in a shaky exhale as Piper smiled brilliantly at one of the younger girls on the field. Her mind fogging over with memories of their last night shared in Piper's bedroom. Piper had thrown her a gentle grin over her shoulder as she let her clothes fall slowly to the floor, she'd traced her hands reverently over the newly exposed plains of Piper's body as she whispered soft promises against Alex's hair, a small smattering of goosebumps blossoming across her skin as Alex's breath danced across her collarbones.

And Alex always waited for Piper's gaze to shift towards the bleachers before rising to slip back into the school.

They managed to keep it a secret for the entire year.

Until the night of graduation comes and Alex presents Piper with the keys to a gently used jeep she'd managed to buy and an unmarked map of the world. Piper hasn't yet told her parents she's decided to take a year off before college, Alex only just yesterday told her mother about Piper. She spends the entire night in Piper's bed for the first time, waking together to the gentle rays of the morning sun flushed with anxious giddiness.

They lose track of each other in the commotion of graduation festivities and don't catch sight of one another again (save for the fleeting glances shared as each of their names are called to march across the stage) until the end of the ceremony. Piper has managed to slip away from her family, taking advantage of their muted shock upon her announcement of delaying college for an indefinite cross country adventure with her girlfriend. Alex is waiting for her when she slips into the jeep and kisses her full on the mouth in the school parking lot in front of everyone they've ever known.

And when they break apart to meet one another's gaze there's a matching grin on both their faces and a new world ahead of them.

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><p>I feel like this ending is sort of rushed but I don't really know what else to do with it and I'm slightly drunk and just want to publish it.<p>

Also, I forgot to put this bit in the last chapter, I love all the reviews asking for expanse on certain stories. It makes me glad to know people are falling enough in love with these short little story bursts to yearn for more from the same universe, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to _truly_ write a multi-chapter fic. Simply because I hate leaving stories unfinished. It's always painful to start reading a fic, fall in love with it, and then never see an update again, and I don't want to do that. I'd have to have the entire story planned out thoroughly from the get go if I wanted to write a multi-chapter, and truthfully if I ever do get the idea for something larger than these semi-short drabbles I'd probably just post it as one giant mega oneshot anyway. But I do truly love the encouragement for more. If all goes well there is _one_ lengthy idea I've been slowly writing chunks of that could theoretically be a multi-chapter story (though as I said I'll most likely post it as one giant oneshot, because along with hating abandoned fic I've always been way too impatient for fic updates in an on-going story).


	8. Chapter 8

_[Imagine your OTP hanging out with friends at someone's house. After a while of teasing and hidden touches, they sneak away to be alone. But as soon as they've started undressing, their friends barge into the room without knocking, only to stop in horror.]_

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><p>Piper Chapman had only met Alex Vause a handful of times.<p>

She was friends with Nicky, a member of the "edgier" crowd she ran with when out of her mother's reach. The kind of people Piper's mother would never in a thousand years allow her to keep any sort of company with. Which is part of the reason Piper was so intrigued by her. Alex Vause held a certain air of mystery. She carried herself with the attitude of someone who's got nothing prove because they simply don't care what you might have to say about them anyway.

Alex had taken her own interest in Piper from their initial meeting. She'd been weary at first, Nicky's hushed warning that she was an unintentional friend from her _other_ life, ringing in her mind. But Piper was cute and Piper was sweet and Piper was _different_. And Alex enjoyed the flustered fascination she regarded her with every time they came in contact.

When Piper had agreed to this sleepover (a ploy concocted by Nicky in order to appease her mother's weariness as she went on another one of her _trips_; "It'll be a small sleepover mom, alright? A couple friends. So there's a guarantee there'll be no partying. I'll invite the Chapman girl, even!") she hadn't been told Alex Vause would be on the guest list. Not that she was complaining.

So now here she stood, hesitantly inside the Nichols' foyer, in a heated stare down with none other than the tall brunette beauty herself. _Alex Vause_.

"Piper." Alex purred.

"Hey." Piper's voice was slightly more wavering. "Alex."

"Nicky didn't tell me you were coming." Her eyes glinted with a flash of _something_. Something Piper couldn't quite place, but something she found herself blushing at.

"Yeah." She murmured. "Likewise."

"Everyone's downstairs. Here, lemme take your bag."

Before Piper could protest Alex had grabbed her bag and began moving through the house. She drew a deep breath, forcing down the blush that she could still feel coating her cheeks, before following the older girl.

It was an odd collection of people, Nicky's ragtag band. Nicky herself was nearly two years older than Piper, though technically in the same grade after being left back one year in elementary. They'd initially met through their parents, who ran in the same social circles, and eventually Nicky's hesitant acceptance of the blonde began to bleed into their school life. Piper figured it had something to do with Lorna Morello, who sometimes hung around Piper when they shared a class together with none of their closer friends. Though once Nicky had succeeded in wrapping Morello around her finger (or so Nicky put it, Piper personally seemed to think it was more the other way around) her demeanor towards the blonde softened, gradually coming to view Piper as an unlikely but welcomed friend.

As it was, Alex Vause was a grade above them, several years older than Piper, and one of Nicky's oldest friends. She was, for all intents and purposes, someone Piper Chapman would _never_ have come across or interacted with if it weren't for her unconventional relationship with Nicky. Which Piper thought was a fair exchange in lieu of the Lorna situation. Piper wasn't exactly sure what Alex saw in her personally, it took her several awkward get togethers to even begin to convince herself that Alex's interest in her was genuine and not some elaborate joke. But the older girl always seemed to be just as enchanted to see her as _she_ was (though with much less fumbling, blushing, and awkwardness than Piper typically exuded).

Piper never told Polly about her secret... _whatever this was_... with Alex Vause. Polly barely approved of Piper's tentative friendship with Nicky, and Nicky was at least from the same general circle as them. It's not that she was looking for Polly's approval though, she mused as she watched Alex laugh at something Nicky said, tossing Piper's bag next to another one at the foot of the couch. No, Piper's reasons for keeping Alex Vause a secret were entirely selfish. She simply didn't want to share. Alex was a secret slice of a small pleasure Piper had allowed herself, this tiny world carved out of her friendship with Nicky in which she no longer had to play perfect daughter or model student. So what if she wanted to keep this part of her life a secret to herself. She deserved it.

Alex's gaze had turned to her and Piper's thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she faltered under the brunette's intense gaze once more. She was watching her. Expectantly. She'd asked her something. Fuck.

"What?" Piper finally managed to utter.

"Chapman! So nice of you to join us!" Nicky exclaimed from the corner of the room. "We've only been talkin' to you for five minutes."

"Sorry." Piper blushed, throwing a breathless greeting around the room. "Hey."

Lorna and Nicky were currently squashed together in the obnoxiously large lazy boy in the corner of the room. Poussey and Taystee nodded their hellos from the floor in front of the TV, which Piper returned with a soft smile. She had a few classes with Taystee and considered her among her favorites of Nicky's eclectic collection of friends. Cindy (or _Black_ Cindy as she insisted upon being called for reasons unknown to Piper, apparently there was something about a white Cindy who she'd never met or got the full story on) tossed out a loud and somewhat bored sounding _WHATUP_ from the counter of the bar at the back of the room where she stood pouring drinks next to Nicky's friend Boo. Piper cut a quick glance over to Nicky in silent questioning, Black Cindy was typically only among the group when larger parties were involved and even then it was rare to see her without her friend Watson. Nicky only shrugged nonchalantly.

"Alright so I ordered pizza, I hope yous bitches is hungry." Nicky calls out lazily. "I figure we'll wait to start the movies until that gets here. For now you're free to do whatever your little gay hearts desire."

"Yo!" Black Cindy called out indignantly. "Not all of us is _gay_, Nichols."

Nicky merely rolled her eyes, hefting herself out of the chair with an exaggerated air of cheeriness. "Vause has suggested a game of poker so all who are interested please place yourselves around the table immediately."

Piper watched as Nicky, Boo and Cindy began to shuffle around the small table by the bar before casting her attention to Poussey and Taystee who were now booting up a video game on the television. She'd just begun to take a step towards the them when a shoulder collided gently against her own.

"C'mon, Chapman. Don't tell me you're gonna skip out on poker." Alex's voice taunted gently at her ear.

She turned towards the older girl, smiling warmly before hesitating. "I... don't know how to play." She quietly admitted.

"Well now you definitely have to come." Alex gasped with mock surprise. "Come on. I'll teach you."

Their shoulders knocked gently again as Alex gave her a light shove towards the table, her hand coming to reset at the small of Piper's back, and suddenly Piper's feet were moving before she could stop herself.

They slid into a pair of vacant seats next to each other, pulling them closer together so their shoulders brushed.

"Ay ay ay, what's this!" Nicky called indignantly. "There will be no cheating in this gentleman's game."

"Fuck off Nicky she doesn't even know how to play."

"Rule is rules, Vause." Nicky drawled, shuffling through her cards. "You think I'm not wise to your ways. Like you even need it anyway yah goddamn hustler."

"Fine then, she'll be on my team." Alex countered throwing an arm around the back of Piper's chair and pulling her closer still. "Which will pretty much only work in your favor."

Squinting at her in quiet suspicion for a hot moment, Nicky finally relented with a grin. "A'right, Vause. You're right. It's your funeral."

Piper _tried_ to pay attention to Alex's murmured lessons, she really did, but it was very hard when Alex's face was _very_ close and her voice was _very_ hushed and the softest puffs of her breath were colliding _very_ lightly with Piper's neck as she whispered softly to the younger girl. Her arm had moved from the back of her chair once she'd been dealt her cards (Piper had deflated slightly at the loss) and now occasionally caressed Piper's thigh as she directed the girl's attentions and dictated the flow of the table (which Piper had to admit was a much better arrangement). Piper watched her intently, their gazes locking over the cards every so often as Alex murmured quietly. At one point her hand fell to Piper's leg and remained, as she stroked a gentle path back and forth across Piper's jeans with her thumb. Piper's eyes jumped to Alex's once more and she was met with a soft knowing smirk that simultaneously melted her into a puddle and set her taut with a vibrating excitement. At some point she'd managed to pluck up enough courage to run her own fingertips lightly up and down Alex's wrist, causing the older girl to shift and lean into her. Piper was nearly delirious with contentment.

They'd played several hands (Alex winning every single one) before Nicky kicked her grumpily from the game with a grumbled huff about _goddamn hustlers_. The doorbell rang not long after that and Alex, having been kicked from the current round offered to retrieve the pizzas (_"It's the least I can do after robbing you all blind"_ she'd cackled).

"Wanna give me a hand?" Alex had turned to her and murmured.

Piper smiled shyly back at her, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "Sure."

They headed upstairs in silence, Alex's hand ghosting occasionally against Piper's back. Alex smiled warmly as she accepted the pizzas and paid the delivery boy, turning to hand them to Piper as she fished out her wallet. Their fingers brushed when she reached to take half the load after closing the door and Piper once again found herself blushing lightly.

Whoops of joy broke out as they reentered the basement, arms laden with several boxes of warm pizza. Poussey, Taystee, and Lorna ambled over, video games now forgotten as the delectable aroma of food wafted through the basement. They all piled their plates high with greasy masses of dripping cheese before piling back over towards the television.

Taystee and Poussey dropped to their pile of blankets before the TV once more, Black Cindy and Boo settling down beside them. Lorna curled back into the large recliner she and Nicky had been sharing when Piper first arrived. Piper paused idly in front of the couch as she watched Nicky ruffle through a pile of DVDs, a small debate breaking out across the room.

She was watching Alex out off the corner of her eye, still lingering around the bar and boxes of pizza. She stacked an assortment of the various slices onto a plate then moved two of her fingers into her mouth, gently sucking some wayward grease from their tips. Piper observed dazedly. She was lost once again in her thoughts when Nicky's voice boomed loudly.

"CHAPMAN."

She jumped abruptly, nearly dropping her plate of pizza. "What!?"

"God_damn_, girl, you are fuckin' _out of it_ tonight." She grumbled.

"_What_, Nicky?" She asked again, somewhat embarrassed at her reigning lack of focus.

Alex's husky chuckle filled her ears and Piper gave herself a mental pat on the back for managing not to swoon. She laughed warmly, slipping around Piper towards the couch behind her as Piper continued to stand before it, eyeing Nicky. "Just put it on, Nichols. She'll be fine. You don't give her enough credit."

Dropping heavily to the couch with a content sigh, Alex eyed her expectantly. She turned her attention from Nicky (who'd just finished placing a DVD into the player and was now climbing back into the recliner with Lorna) to the brunette waiting patiently behind her.

"It's kinda hard to watch the movie _through_ you." Alex teased gently, patting the spot next to her as Piper continued to _not move_.

"Oh. Right."

She slipped onto the couch beside the older girl and nibbled quietly at her pizza. If she kept her focus on things _other_ than Alex Vause and how close they were sitting then she could _maybe_ make it through this night alive. Fat chance.

It was a simple enough endeavor for the first fifteen minutes. When she still had pizza. And the movie's plot was still slowly unfurling. And the lights were still on. But the second she placed her empty plate on the coffee table before her Boo shot up to turn out the lights with a muffled "_Perfect timing_." Perfect timing for _what_ she was about to ask before the music swelled and she realized what Nicky must have been asking her about fifteen minutes ago when Alex had told her she'd be fine. Oh. A horror movie. Fuck.

She unconsciously settled deeper into the couch as the movie's true nature began to unfurl across the screen. Her thigh brushed against Alex's hand and she recoiled slightly in timid shock. Alex cast a sideways glance her way before leaning forward to rummage for something at the end of the couch. When she leaned back into her seat a soft blanket was drifting down across them and a light smile was touching her lips.

"Oh, Thanks." Piper murmured as they settled deeper against each other.

They were another fifteen minutes into the movie when Alex's hand began to draw soft patterns against the top of her thigh under the blanket. Piper tensed for a moment, and Alex's hand stilled as their gazes met. She was watching Piper closely, waiting to make sure she was comfortable before resuming the gentle motions. Piper blinked, holding the other girl's gaze before returning her attention to the movie and shifting just a little bit closer. She watched Alex's slow smirk unfurl from the corner of her eye as she returned her own attention to the movie.

Piper's hand grasped Alex's as she jumped, squeezed it as she tensed, and traced gently around her wrist as she relaxed. Her head had fallen to Alex's shoulder at some point and her attention was only half on the movie (she wasn't sure Alex was even watching it at all anymore) as their touches grew more heated underneath the blanket. Alex's fingers hand begun to slip higher and higher along her thigh and were now dangerously close to the juncture of her legs, fingertips skimming her inner thighs just barely as she stroked lightly. Piper shifted slightly, unintentionally jostling Alex's slow path, and they both stiffened as her hand brushed against the crotch of Piper's jeans. Their gazes met again and Piper could no longer mask the heated longing in her eyes as she took in the hesitant unbridled lust across Alex's.

_Fuck it_. She thought.

Holding Alex's gaze she thrust her hips softly, just once, against the hand still resting at the apex of her thighs.

Alex's gaze swept around the room quickly, taking note of the various faces still heavily immersed in the movie, before returning to Piper's. They slid closer together, just slightly, so as to not alert the others to their movements.

"_Keep watching the movie_." She whispered hotly against Piper's ear.

Piper nodded almost imperceptively, turning her face back towards the television, watching Alex through the corner of her eye.

Her palm turned fully against Piper as her fingers began to rub at the center of her jeans. Lightly. With just enough force for Piper to feel the barest hint of pressure. She bit back a whimper as Alex's fingers began to build a steadier tension. Alex's own face was still turned slightly towards her, keeping note of how comfortable she was, eyes occasionally skirting around the room to assess where everyone else's attention lay.

They remained this way, Alex touching her steadily through her jeans, for a short while before Alex's fingers snaked up to flip open the button and slide underneath the material. She inhaled quietly as her fingers met the material of Piper's panties. Damp. So damp. So fucking damp. She rubbed against her lightly a few moments longer as Piper fought to keep quiet.

Alex must have sensed her struggle because she quickly withdrew her hand, stretching her arms above her head with an exaggerated groan (a well timed exaggerated groan as Piper whimpered softly at the sudden loss, and no one was any the wiser) in a stretch.

"Mmmm... I'm gonna make some popcorn." She murmured to no one in particular as Piper stared up at her in quiet disbelief. She shot the blonde a significant glance as she began to move from the couch.

Oh. _Oh_.

"I'll come with you!" Piper exclaimed shooting up from the couch a little too quickly. Nicky eyed her suspiciously for a moment. "Alright! I'm scared! You win Nicky, stop looking at me like that."

Alex couldn't stop the grin sliding across her face at Nicky's cackling acceptance. She'd underestimated the wily blonde. "Come on, kid." She murmured, pulling Piper against her protectively. "I'll keep you safe."

"Yeah, I bet you will, Vause." Nicky called tauntingly after them.

Alex shot her a middle finger from across Piper's back as the two made their way up the stairs to the kitchen.

Her hand slipped from Piper's waist once they'd reached the kitchen, pausing as the blonde turned to face her. "Well look'it you all quick on your feet." She purred. "_I'm scared_."

Piper giggled breathlessly as she stepped slowly into Alex's space. "Honestly? I can't believe Nicky bought it."

"Me either." Alex laughed, reaching out to pull her closer.

Her arm slid around Piper's hip and she allowed herself to be pulled against the older girl's warm, inviting body with a grin. Alex dipped her head to place a soft kiss against Piper's neck before drawing her face into her hands.

"Is this okay?" She husked quietly as their gazes locked, thumbs brushing gently across Piper's cheeks.

"Yes." Piper whispered.

They shared a quiet smile before Alex leaned in to place her lips against Piper's. Their lips melded perfectly and Piper fought to keep her knees from buckling as Alex held her mouth against hers. They kissed steadily for a moment, languidly, before Alex leaned forward with a sudden urgency. The kiss deepened as she began to back Piper towards the kitchen table. Her back connected abruptly with the edge and Alex wasted no time hoisting her onto it and stepping between her legs.

Her hands dropped to Piper's hips as they helped her onto the table and Piper felt her own hands fist tightly against Alex's shirt, drawing the older girl impossibly closer. She shifted to wrap her legs around Alex's waist as Alex's hands began slowly pushing up her t-shirt. Their kiss broke momentarily as Alex shucked the shirt over Piper's head and onto the kitchen floor.

Alex immediately moved to palm Piper's breasts as their mouths connected once more, and Piper arched against her touch, her own hands moving down to slide under Alex's shirt. She moaned deeply as Alex moved to pull at the straps of her bra, placing a hot string of kisses against Piper's exposed shoulder. Taking advantage of Alex's momentary distraction, Piper ripped the brunette's shirt over her head before letting it fall to the kitchen floor to tangle with her own.

She ran her hands up Alex's back, sliding beneath the fabric of her bra as Alex's hand returned to Piper's still unbuttoned jeans. Her fingers dove beaneath the tough material once again to stroke heatedly at the damp fabric of her panties.

"Damn, Pipes, you're so fucking wet." She panted hotly against Piper's shoulder.

"Your fault." Piper murmured dazedly, pulling her nails down Alex's back, causing the older girl to lean into her with a soft bark of laughter and a quiet moan.

Their mouths returned to each other once again as Alex's fingers moved to slide beneath the final layer of fabric separating her from Piper's wet heat.

"What the ever loving FUCK."

They sprang apart from each other immediately. Piper raced to cover herself as Alex moved in front of her, turning to face the door behind her. Nicky stood gaping at them from the doorway to the basement, the rest of the girls peering out from behind her in similar states of shock.

"Fuck." Alex grumbled, rolling her eyes skyward as she reached for Piper's shirt.

"UNBELIEVABLE." Nicky exclaimed. "_Defiling_ my kitchen table in the cover of darkness under the guise of retrieving popcorn. How DARE you. I eat dinner there."

"Apparently Vause does too." Poussey quipped quickly from behind her as Taystee squealed with glee.

"Shut the fuck up, Nicky." Alex grumbled, turning away from her friend's teasing glare to the blonde before her. Piper's face was cherry red as she buried it in her hands, Alex stroked her chin gently, catching her eye through the gaps in her fingers, before leaning down to retrieve her own shirt.

Nicky let loose another whoop of laughter as the rest of the girls chattered teasingly behind her. "Chapman, I gotta say, I am quite frankly surprised. Had I known you were on the level I would have worked a little harder to become better friends with you sooner."

"Ugh." Piper murmured from behind her hands. "I can't believe this is happening."

Letting out one final bout of laughter, Nicky turned to begin shooing everyone else downstairs once more. "Ahhh, Chapman, relax, all's well. You're among friends."

Piper's hands dropped from her face to regard Nicky wearily as she paused at the threshold of the basement once more. Alex still stood protectively before her.

"Seriously," Nicky murmured, a genuine smile alighting her face. "I'm happy for you guys."

Their eyes met briefly as they turned towards each other at Nicky's gentle words, soft smiles touching their lips.

"Lemme just grab the popcorn and I'll leave you two lovebirds to it."

Alex turned towards Nicky, brows furrowing. "Nicky, we didn't _actually_ make popcorn."

"What!?" Nicky roared dramatically causing both girls before her to jump. "YOU SNEAK AWAY TO DEFILE MY KITCHEN AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN MAKE THE POPCORN!? You know what, I take back my blessing, unbelievable."

Her continued muttering drifted softly through the door as she made her way back to the basement and Alex and Piper turned to each other, alone once again.

"Well." Piper murmured.

"Yeah." Alex laughed.

"I guess we should probably head back downstairs. I don't really think I can continue this knowing everyone is down there listening now." She groaned.

Alex laughed softly once more, as their gazes met and pulled Piper in for one more kiss. "No." She whispered mischievously. "I guess we'll just have to wait until they all fall asleep and sneak into Nicky's bed to finish what we started."

"Mmm..." Piper hummed eagerly against her lips. "Yes. I think that sounds like the perfect idea."

They kissed softly for a moment longer, giggling giddily against each other's lips.

"Come on," Alex whispered as they broke apart. "The sooner we get down there the sooner we can convince them all the fall asleep."

She helped Piper slide down from the table, and they made their way quietly back to the basement, fingers tangling together gently, and thoughts of iimpending revenge and eager promises swirling through their minds. Though for now they were simply content to _be_.


	9. Chapter 9

_('The person living in the apartment across the wall to mine is a nymphomaniac and yeah okay they're p hot but it's v hard to write an essay on feminism when all I can hear is sexual screaming.' au) **[(soft) M RATING (ish)]**_

* * *

><p>The moaning from next door grew louder as Piper clenched her fists above her books.<p>

It had been going on for several weeks now. This never ending parade of loud sexual women through her neighbor's apartment. It had been silent when she and Polly first moved in two months ago, but roughly about midway through last week the parade had begun. Out of nowhere. Piper hadn't even known she'd _had_ a neighbor before the nightly rituals started up.

Women. Women upon women upon women upon women. All screaming her neighbor's name. All night long. Sometimes even during the day.

She'd _tried_ to talk to Polly about it, but the other woman just apparently could not be bothered. ("I don't know what you're talking about Piper, I never hear anything.", "I think you're just being dramatic, you obviously need to get laid.") Polly's room was on the other side of the apartment. Piper gave up the argument about forty three seconds in.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh... _Alex_!" Tonight's particularly shrill voice screamed. Piper buried her face in her hands.

This was getting out of hand. She needed to say something. She was beginning to worry she wouldn't pass the semester.

She was pounding against the wall before she knew what she was doing.

"Could. You. Please. Shut. The Fuck. _UP_!"

Silence. One brief, achingly beautiful moment of silence.

Piper almost dared to believe it'd be as simple as that before a loud laugh rang out.

The noises picked back up.

Her head fell to her books.

.

So she did her best to live with it.

.

She lasted three weeks.

Three weeks of loud, raucous, primal _fucking_.

Three weeks of shrill, ear splitting, delighted _screams_.

And three weeks of Piper Chapman barely resisting the urge to tear all her hair out.

The inevitable downfall had begun at 8 AM, when Piper's alarm clock failed to wake her up for her first class.

The screaming began at 8:47, jarring Piper from sleep and into the bad mood that would cloud her every action for the remainder of the day. She had 13 minutes to make it to class. Her foul mood intensified.

The rest of the day had gone downhill from there and by the time Piper stumbled back into her apartment at three in the afternoon a new voice had begun screaming 'Alex's' name. Piper _tried_ to unclot the black cloud hanging over her head. She really did. She attempted a nap, settled for a run, and returned to what _couldn't_ _possibly_ be _louder_ animalistic screaming (but every fiber of Piper's being was insisting it somehow _was_).

She'd been attempting to write a paper for the class she'd stumbled 20 minutes late to when something inside her finally snapped.

She was out the door and into the hallway before her tired mind could process what was happening.

Her fist collided with her neighbor's door with more force than she'd ever felt her small frame give to anything.

"HEY. ASSHOLE. I AM RUNNING ON THREE HOURS OF SLEEP. I HAVE A FUCKING PAPER DUE IN FOUR HOURS, AND I HAVE FUCKING _HAD IT_ WITH YOUR ENDLESS CYCLE OF SHRILL SCREAMING WOMEN, IF YOU DON'T FUCKING KEEP IT DOWN I AM GOING TO-"

The door swung open. The rest of her thoughts died on her lips.

A tall dark haired woman stood in the doorway, eyebrows furrowing briefly before evening out as a slow smirk worked it's way across her lips as she studied Piper.

"Ah. You must be the wall pounder. You know, if you wanted to join all you had to do was ask."

"I..." Piper faltered, as she eyed the other woman leaning against the doorjamb.

She definitely wasn't a student. She looked a good few years older than Piper and way past college dazed as far as worldly presence. She was tall. Taller than Piper, which didn't happen all too often. She wore dark glasses and a thin black robe. Silk. Piper noted absently. Long creamy thighs stretched deliciously out of it and Piper found her eyes trailing up them before she could help herself. The robe was cinched at the waist, though not tightly, as a fair amount of cleavage all but spilled through the deep V parting. A dark eyebrow cocked gleefully and a set of sharp white teeth flashed wickedly as she took notice of Piper's unsubtle inspection.

"Look." She collected herself upon meeting the older woman's gaze, she could feel her cheeks tinging pink. "Could you just tell Alex to _please_ keep it down with the sex. I have a huge fucking essay due and I'm falling behind in _more than one_ of my classes and I can't ever get _any_ studying done anymore through the loud ridiculous amount of sex he is _constantly_ having."

A loud amused laugh barked from the woman's lungs as Piper finished her defeated tirade. Piper eyed her wearily, bristling.

"Sure, kid. I'll let Alex know."

She continued to smirk in unabashed amusement as if she was in on some joke Piper was not privy to. She narrowed her eyes at the woman in exhausted suspicion before finally turning to leave. She'd taken a single step back towards her own apartment before hesitating and whipping back around to face the grinning woman.

"No. You know what, _no_. I'm fucking serious, I'm _done_. I can't allow this to continue, something has got to change or I am going to involve the landlord. I _need_ to speak to Alex, because this has gone too fucking far and I'm fucking tired and I'm _done_. I'm done. I'm _pissed_. Let me talk to Alex. I can't fucking do this anymore I can't just fucking _pretend_ everything is okay because it's _not_ and he isn't the only person who lives in this building and he is being a _fucking_ asshole! Let me talk to Alex!"

She'd begun striding back towards the woman as she'd started speaking and now stood face to face with her, breathing heavily. They eyed each other in silence, the amused expression previously adorning the older woman's face fading into a quieter more restrained sort of amused contemplation as she studied the blonde before her.

"Well!?" Piper huffed.

"Well what?" She returned, eyes darting back and forth between Piper's own.

"Can I fucking speak to Alex!?"

Her lips tipped in the slightest of gleeful smiles before falling back into her mask of gently amused contemplation. "You are."

"I-... what?" Piper spluttered, suddenly thrown.

"I'm Alex." The brunette murmured, smirking at Piper's fumbling.

"Y... _You're Alex_?"

The brunette chuckled softly, eyes alight with a fanciful sort of glee Piper couldn't quite place. "What's the matter, kid? Cat got your tongue? Where'd all that burning fire that was under your ass just a minute ago go?"

"_Fuck you_." Piper growled. Her hands fisted tightly at her sides, arms twitching with the barely restrained urge to _shove_ this woman. Alex eyed her quivering arms with a raised brow before flicking her eyes back to Piper's face. The fight trickled out of her all at once. Her shoulders slumped. She was never going to win. Not when Alex kept looking at her like she was the most amusing thing that's happened to her all day. Her voice was soft with defeat as her hands unclenched. "You have been making my life a living _hell_ for the past several months. Seriously. Fuck you."

Alex's amused gaze softened slightly as Piper turned to leave. "_Kid_." She called with a barely contained groan. Piper debated with herself before settling for a half turn to face the woman. "All you had to do was ask." Alex smiled. A genuine one. For once.

Piper continued to eye her wearily before turning back towards her own apartment once more. "Thanks."

As she tiredly closed the door to her home she vaguely noted the soft exhale of a heavy sigh from down the hall.

.

Things actually seemed to get better for awhile.

Alex was visited by the occasional heavy screamer, but she always made sure things were quiet by midnight and began no earlier than noon.

Piper's thoughts had trailed to the mysterious woman several times since their confrontation. Maybe she'd been too hard on her (or maybe if she hadn't been as hard as she _was_ Alex would still be churning through overly vocal sexual partners like a goddamn sex factory). She told herself it wasn't that she _missed_ the telltale signs of Alex's presence in the building, but it was certainly _strange_ living in this new silence. Almost... empty somehow.

She found herself pausing outside her door one day, on the way back from class. Her keys dangling from her hand, poised and ready to enter the lock. But her gaze had slid to Alex's door. In the absence of the sex she could now occasionally hear the muffled sounds of Alex's day to day life. It was almost nice in a way (though anything was nicer than a constant trumpet of sexual screams), knowing Alex was just through the wall singing softly to herself or laughing at whatever stupid show was currently drifting from her TV.

She hadn't heard her much in the past few weeks though. And now, come to think of it, as she stood outside her door like some sort of idiot, keys in hand, yet making no move to actually unlock the door and go inside, Piper realized she hadn't heard Alex at _all_ in the past two weeks. She continued to gaze in silence at Alex's door, an internal debate warring inside her, before flicking her gaze to her own door and palming her keys.

Her eyes flicked down the hall as she tentatively stepped from her own door and slowly towards Alex's.

_Just to see if she's actually in there_. She told herself. _Just to make sure she's okay_.

She crept silently to Alex's door, pausing as the tips of her converse sneakers just barely brushed against it. Another quick gaze down the hall before slowly leaning her ear against the cold door.

_Silence_.

She squinted in concentration, squeezing her eyes shut, straining her ears for _any_ hint of sound.

"What're you doing?"

She'd nearly jumped out of her skin.

Alex stood behind her with a wry smile stretching across her lips. Fuck. She was leaning against the Bannister of the stairs as she watched the blonde with a wicked sort of amusement. Piper begged the ground to swallow her.

"I was just... I wanted to check- I haven't heard... I thought maybe... you..." She fumbled for an explanation as Alex's smirk turned into a full on grin. "You've been so quiet lately." She finished lamely.

Alex watched her silently for a moment longer, enjoying the way the girl squirmed as she waited for her reaction. "That's because I was out of the country."

Piper's eyes now dropped to take in the suitcase at Alex's feet. The duffle bag hanging from her shoulder. Oh.

"Oh."

A husky chuckle fell from Alex's lips as she hefted the bag further over her shoulder, leaning down to retrieve the case at her feet. "Did you miss me?" She cooed teasingly.

"What?" Piper fumbled. "No, I- Of course not! Like I said I was just... worried that you..." She sighed in frustration. "Never mind. Welcome back."

Alex's arm shot out as she moved to push past her, intent on finally slipping into her own apartment and away from the woman's infuriatingly amused gaze.

"Hold on." She purred, eyeing Piper intently. "I just got back, you know."

"Yeah?" Piper murmured wearily.

"Yeah. So I don't exactly have anything lined up for tonight." Her blue-green gaze pierced into Piper's. "If you know what I mean."

Piper's eyes narrowed as she tensed under the older woman's touch. Alex's face was alight with mischief, but there was a small flicker of something else Piper couldn't quite place dancing just under the surface.

"You wouldn't wanna come in and keep me company, would you?"

Piper's heart started racing with such fervor that she could swear Alex must be able to feel it through her own palm still resting lightly against her. She told herself it had absolutely nothing to do with Alex's astoundingly attractive face, or incredibly alluring charm, or ridiculously enticing mystery. No. It was _absolutely_ because she was being propositioned by a woman she barely more than _hates_ in the dirty hallway of their shared apartment complex. Completely. 100%. No other explanation.

Wiping the initial shock from her face, she schooled her features back into a blank canvas. "No thanks. I've got a paper on Women's Studies due tomorrow."

"I can teach you a thing or two about _women's studies_." Alex all but whispered (and Piper definitely did _not_ all but swoon). "I find a hands on approach is often the best way to learn."

Piper inhaled sharply, her eyes fluttering closed for half a second as she stepped back from Alex's overwhelming presence before she did something rash. "I'll pass."

She silently congratulated herself as she pushed past the older woman (and the quietly shocked, yet still somehow amused look on her face) and _finally_ slipped inside her own apartment, Alex's soft chuckle drifting through the hallway as she closed the door.

Piper tried not to think too much about it when she heard a muffled stream of moaning start up through the walls several hours later.

(And she _definitely_ didn't let her thoughts linger on the fact that Alex was absolutely alone on the other side of the wall.)

.

She'd only seen Alex a handful of times (all fleeting glances) since her propositioning in the hallway a month ago.

She'd managed to push the woman out of her mind for the time being and was content to continue with this Alex-free line of thinking. Finals were coming up and she definitely didn't need the distractions.

Polly however didn't seem to get the memo.

She was once again trying to finish a paper for a teacher that expected it the following morning when Polly brought up the party she'd _forgotten to mention_ earlier in the week. After much whining (on both sides) She told Piper it'd probably just be a handful of people anyway, no big thing.

Polly's idea of no big thing and Piper's idea of no big thing were two drastically different ideas of no big thing.

She'd lasted all of three hours before finally storming out of the apartment with her laptop. She ended up no further than the hallway (the library was too far, it was way too late, and she didn't really feel like going anywhere else in pajamas).

She knocked her head against the wall behind her with a soft thud as she rubbed her eyes tiredly against the heels of her hands. She'd been sitting in the hallway attempting to finish this paper for an hour now and was close to giving up, laying down, and crying. She was on the verge of a breakdown when a low husky voice drawled out from the end of the stairwell.

"We have got to stop meeting like this." _Alex._ Letting her hands fall to her lap in defeat she peered tiredly at the older woman, once again leaning smugly against the banister. Alex's eyes flicked to the wall behind her before returning to meet Piper's, and her brows furrowed in confusion as she turned to see what the older woman had glanced at. Oh.

At some point her frustrated shifting and desire to distance herself from the raucous of her own home had moved her closer to Alex's apartment door than her own. Much closer. _Her back was leaning slightly against the door frame_ closer.

"Sorry." She muttered. "I'll move."

Alex's ever present amused grin faded as she watched the girl before her. She enjoyed pushing the kid's buttons but she'd never seen her so tired and _beaten_ looking. Her gaze flicked to the door closest to her, taking note of the steady thumping of a muffled bass drifting through it.

She nodded towards the door once as her gaze returned to Piper. "Holly throwing some sort of rager?"

"Yeah." Piper murmured, too tired to correct her mispronunciation of her friend's name. "And she neglected to tell me about in until an hour before it started. So. It's not like I really had the chance to prepare any sort of plan B."

"Hence the hallway?" Alex asked softly.

"Hence the hallway." Piper confirmed. A sigh. "This paper is due in six hours. I'm so _fucked_."

Alex cast a quick look around the hallway before making her way towards her door with a sigh.

"C'mon kid." She mumbled, pulling out her keys and unlocking her door. Piper shot her a startled and weary glance, shuffling away from the opening door. "Hey, I promise, no funny business. You really look like you could use something a little more comfortable than a dingy apartment hallway. And... I still kinda owe you for being the reason you're probably behind in your classes to begin with."

"No funny business?" Piper eyed her through narrowed slits.

"Scout's honor." Alex smiled.

The tired girl hefted herself to her feet slowly, shrugging her shoulders as she adjusted her hold on her laptop. "I doubt you're a scout." She mumbled petulantly as she slipped past the door Alex held open for her. And that ever present smirk slid across those enticing lips once more as she moved to follow the tired blonde into her apartment.

.

Alex had proved to be surprisingly pleasant paper-writing company.

All suggestive jokes and teasing comments aside she really did know a thing or two about Women's Studies that Piper found extremely helpful to her overall essay. She'd provided a steady flow of coffee and the occasional thoughtful insight and Piper was just finishing up her last paragraph as Alex reentered the living room with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. She set one down in front of Piper on the coffee table before sinking into the couch beside her with long low sigh.

"And... done." Piper chimed, with a flick of her wrists. "Oh my god. I'm done. I did it. I might actually manage to pass this class."

Alex smiled her amused smile at her from the end of the couch, though it was a great deal warmer this time. A soft sort of affection shining through.

"Congratulations, kid. What are you going to do now?" She teased in a low voice.

"Mmm..." Piper hummed tiredly with a laugh. "I'd say I'm going to Disney World but honestly I don't think I'd make it further than the hallway before collapsing."

Alex laughed softly and Piper took notice of the mug of hot chocolate before her, leaning down to swap it's place on the table with her laptop and bringing the mug to her lips with a satisfied hum. A chorus of cheers drifted through the wall to them and Piper rolled her eyes with a groan.

"Ugh. Are they _still_ going?"

"Mm. Yep." Alex murmured, taking another sip of her drink.

"I am going to murder Polly so hard once I've had enough sleep to _properly_ plan her murder."

Alex watched her thoughtfully. "You gonna head back?"

"I should." Piper murmured, eyes scanning the apartment before falling upon Alex. "I honestly cannot thank you enough for this. Seriously. You've been so..." She shook her head, unable to find the words, "and I'm the last person who deserves any sort of hospitality from you but you've been so _good_ to me tonight. _Thank you_."

"Yeah well," Alex murmured. "We both got off to kind of a shitty start."

They sat in silence, watching each other for a moment.

"Can I ask you something before I go?" Piper asked softly. "Like something..." She trailed off, once more unable to find the words. (_Personal? Weird? Potentially uncomfortable?_)

Alex's eyebrow rose gently. "Sure, kid."

"That night you... propositioned me. In the hallway..."

"Yeah." Alex prompted with a smile.

"After I turned you down and we both went out separate ways... was that... were you... did you _want_ me to hear that?"

Alex's eyes darkened as she met Piper's gaze head on. "_Yes_."

Piper swallowed heavily, she could feel her heart rate picking up, her pupils dilating. Her voice was nothing more than a whisper when it came out. "Why?"

"Because I wanted you to know what you were missing." Alex's voice lowered to match Piper's. "And I wanted you to think about what you'd forced yourself to turn down." She leaned closer to Piper with every soft, sharp word. "_And I wanted you to know that I was thinking about it too_."

Piper's eyes fluttered, her heart pounding in her ears, as her gaze dropped to Alex's lips before jumping back up to her smoldering gaze.

"Don't go." Alex murmured (all but purred) (demanded) (_begged_). "I meant it. When I invited you over that night. I haven't stopped thinking about you since you nearly broke down my door several months ago."

"Me either." Piper whispered.

.

Their lips met feverishly as they both moved towards each other at once and Piper gasped softly as Alex's chest collided against her own before shifting to pull the younger girl onto her lap. Her legs fell open around Alex's thighs as she straddled her, knees digging into the cushions of the couch. They leaned into and away from each other in a steady pulse, like crashing waves. One of Alex's hands had moved to grasp the back of Piper's neck as the other gripped possessively against her hip.

"_Alex_." Piper gasped softly as their lips broke apart.

Alex shifted her higher against herself, pushing their heaving chests together once more as she recaptured Piper's lips. The hand that had been holding her waist released it's vice-like grip to slide slowly up the underside of Piper's t-shirt. She grinned against Piper's mouth as she tweaked at a nipple, causing the younger girl to arch violently against her with a strangled moan.

"_Lemme teach you a thing or two about women's studies_." Alex whispered hotly against Piper's gasping lips.

Her shirt was ripped over her head and before Piper could properly realize what was happening Alex hoisted them off the couch. Her palms wrapped firmly around Piper's thighs, just below her ass, fingers digging delectably into her quivering muscles. Piper's legs wound tightly around Alex's hips as she carried her several steps across the room to her small kitchen table. She released one of Piper's thighs to sweep a hand across the top of the table, scattering the various papers, folders, other temporarily unimportant things across the floor. Piper barely noticed the small drop to the table as Alex laid her out before her. Her back arched at the contact of the cold tabletop against her heated skin, her chest thrusting upwards towards Alex's waiting mouth as she came down to meet her.

"Lesson number one." Alex murmured harshly around one of Piper's aching nipples, teeth grazing the straining bud_ just_ slightly. "The female orgasm."

Piper couldn't stop the noise that exploded from her lungs as Alex wrapped her lips fully around the small peak and _sucked_. She writhed underneath Alex's talented mouth as the woman kept her straddling the line between pleasure and pain. Her ministrations were forceful but not invasively so, and Piper felt a rush of heat exploding through her lower abdomen as Alex sucked insistently at her chest. Another grin stole across her wicked lips as noises continued to force their way out of Piper's heaving lungs, and Piper could feel it in the brush of teeth against her sensitive nipple once again.

She pulled her mouth from Piper's chest and attached her lips to the pulse point of her neck as her hands squeezed Piper's hips before pulling her further down the table. Piper's hands fisted against the material of Alex's shirt and she tugged roughly, dislodging Alex from her neck as she pulled the obstructive garment off the brunette's heated body. Alex returned to the bruise she had been painting across Piper's neck as the blonde busied herself with ridding the older woman of her bra.

Her own taut nipples grazed the skin of Piper's stomach as the blonde's hips rolled under her in her quest to discard Alex's bra and Alex bit back a moan. Detaching herself from Piper's neck and the slowly flowering bruise she'd left upon it, Alex dove for Piper's lips once more. Their mouths moved hungrily against each other and Alex took advantage of Piper's temporary distraction to swiftly rid her of her pants and underwear, tossing them somewhere to the floor behind her.

Kissing a blazing trail down Piper's squirming body, Alex hoisted one of the girl's quaking thighs over her shoulder. Their eyes met briefly as Alex's free hand wrapped itself around Piper's hips once more and the burning look in the blonde's sapphire gaze nearly did her in right there. Piper's head fell against the table with a slam and she cried out loudly at the first touch of Alex's mouth against her heat, her tongue working through Piper's folds as Piper's cries grew louder.

Alex played her like a symphony working her higher and higher to crescendo and when Piper finally came with a final shout Alex laughed out loud.

.

"You're good at that." Piper gasped, trying to catch her breath as Alex climbed lazily back up her body several hours later. They were in her bed now, having exhausted almost every conceivable surface of the apartment in their cacophonous exploration of each other's bodies.

"I told you I knew a thing or two about women's studies." The brunette grinned.

"Yeah..." They fell silent, the soft sounds of their heavy breathing filling the room. "So what else do you know?"

And Piper found the wicked grin of amusement that curled across Alex's mouth as she rolled on top of her to be her most enticing grin yet.

.

She came seven times that night, and managed to scream out Alex's name _at least_ once during each of them.

She'd eventually managed to escape from Alex's apartment (after one final morning rendezvous in Alex's shower) with the promise of more 'women's studies' lessons in the immediate future and a lingering kiss in Alex's open doorway. Smiling softly to herself as she slipped silently into her bedroom before Polly could take note of her absence.

"You were totally right, by the way." Polly grumbled later when they both finally emerged into the kitchen. "The woman in the next apartment must be some sort of sex _maniac_. Her partner's screams were echoing through the walls for _hours_! We could barely turn the music loud enough to cover them."

"Oh Polly." Piper murmured, bringing her mug of coffee to her lips to mask her growing smile. "Don't be so dramatic."

* * *

><p>Someone asked me in the last chapter about a tumblr account, and I <em>did<em> finally create a public tumblr account under the same name. I haven't really used it much accept to sort of collect inspiration but you're welcome to check it out or message me there any time.


	10. Chapter 10

_(Imagine Person A of your OTP constantly annoying person B while they're having art class, and Person B gets mad and throws a bottle of paint at Person A. It results in a paint fight with the whole class joining in. The teacher finds out who started the fight and sends your OTP to detention. In detention, Person B tells Person A: 'You're the most beautiful painting I have ever seen.')_

* * *

><p>Alex Vause had been a nuisance since day one.<p>

Piper had seen her around school several times before. Brief glances. The occasional brushing in the hallway. A glimpse of her on the bleachers as she made her way around the track below. She'd seen her around. She was almost sort of intrigued by her, if she was being honest. She was somewhat of an outcast and Polly had told her that there were a _plethora_ of rumors about what kind of person she was, what kind of life she led, what she did outside of school. So sure, Piper couldn't help but feel a little curious. (It also didn't hurt that she was drop dead gorgeous, but Piper tried not to focus too hard on that particular line of thought.)

That was before she actually _met_ her.

Alex Vause was a year ahead of her and so they'd successfully managed to avoid having any classes together up until this point. But Alex was a senior and had put off taking an art elective until the last possible minute, and Piper was a junior who couldn't get into the theater elective due to more of the seniors schedules taking priority, and so somehow they'd ended up in the same art class.

Alex had immediately zoned in on Piper.

Piper wasn't sure if it was her WASPy disposition, or her teachers pet reputation, or the fact that she sometimes kept company with girls who were widely hailed as _Alex Vause's enemies_, but _something_ about her had caught Alex's attention and it wasn't in the good way. They'd been assigned to a pair of desks parallel to each other at the ends of two long rows.

It had taken Alex all of four minutes to begin her harassment.

Piper had taken out her notebook to begin taking notes and Alex had snickered.

"What?" She demanded self consciously.

"You're taking notes in _art class_?" Alex laughed.

"Well there _are_ tests."

"Do you really think they're going to be so challenging that you need to have _notes_ to fall back on." Alex mused dryly.

"It never hurts to be prepared." She growled.

"Yeah. That's what I've heard about you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Piper's interest peaked slightly. Alex Vause had heard of her?

"Nothing." Alex laughed shaking her, attention turning back to the teacher.

Piper scowled at the older girl's mocking demeanor. She watched her heatedly for a moment before returning to her notes.

.

It continued like this for awhile. Alex making snippy comments about Piper's habits, teasing her with lazy observations and judgmental opinions. Piper, for the most part tried to ignore her, though occasionally couldn't help snipping back. It only ever seemed to amuse Alex further when she did.

Eventually Alex must have decided her verbal harassment wasn't enough. It didn't take long for their picking to develop into actual arguments. Alex would amble into class, drop into her desk, and absentmindedly prop her feet up on the side of Piper's seat. Piper would push her feet away with a huff and a grumble and Alex would eventually slide them back into place several minutes later. Thus carrying on in a vicious (slowly growing more and more aggressive as class wore on) cycle.

And as if _that_ wasn't enough, Alex had _then_ taken to making sure she was using anything and everything Piper needed whenever she needed it. Piper would rise from her seat, about to move across the room to collect a box of charcoal for her sketch and Alex's hand would be sliding over top of it right before she could grab it. She'd reach out absently for a jar of paint, looking up in confusion as her hand met with empty air, only to find Alex clutching it with a smirk. She'd stick a paint brush back into the cup, about to select a new one when Alex, without fail, every time, would grab _exactly_ the one she needed.

Piper had always prided herself on being someone who was in control, but Alex Vause was slowly starting to unravel that control.

And Piper Chapman was slowly starting to learn that she _may_ have a bit of a temper.

.

She'd been having an especially rough day already when day Alex decided to push her to her limit.

Her alarm had failed to go off and she'd nearly been late for school. Her mother had scolded her for not being better prepared as she rushed out the door. She'd gotten a test back with a B- written across the top in large, angry, red letters. Polly had been nitpicking at her for the smallest things all day. Tommy Anderson had called her a teacher's pet in Biology when the teacher asked her to explain to the rest of the class something that no one else seemed to fully yet grasp. And she'd spilled her drink all over herself during lunch and spent half the period trying to clean her shirt under the air dryers in the girls bathroom.

And then Alex Vause had ambled into art class.

She'd been in especially fine form today. Teasing Piper endlessly about _everything_. It wasn't until she made a comment about _Perfect Piper_ that hit a _little_ too close to home when Piper lost it. The teacher had stepped out of the room for a moment and Alex had immediately taken her opportunity to unabashedly get under the younger girl's skin.

She couldn't help it. She snapped.

Grabbing the nearest object, she hurled it across the desk at the older girl. Alex froze in momentary shock as the bottle of electric blue paint collided with her collar bone, splattering a vibrant layer of color across her. Blue paint dripped from the lens of her glasses, ran in thick lines down her neck, and spread slowly across the white of her shirt. Piper froze too. The room fell silent.

"Oh-ho..." Alex laughed dangerously, and Piper found herself tensing in equal parts fear and anticipation. "You are _so_ going to regret that."

Before Piper could recover from her own initial shock a wave of yellow crashed over her. She shrieked, standing abruptly from her chair as the dripping paint container dropped to the floor, now mostly empty, it's contents spread marvelously across Piper's outfit and face. Her temper swiftly took control and before she could process what she was doing she hurled another bottle at the now grinning Alex.

Alex cried out in muffled shock as a hue of green mixed with a spraying splash against the blue already coating her, shooting up from her own seat.

"PAINT FIGHT!" Someone suddenly screamed out and paint began flying in all directions.

Piper, however, took no notice as her attention remained on Alex. A clap of red splatted across her and her temper flared to the same shade as Alex Vause laughed at her handy work. She began hurling every bottle of colored goo she could get her hands on at the laughing brunette as Alex returned the favor in full. They were slipping against the rapidly coating floor in their haste for more ammunition and their bodies collided as they reached quickly for the same bottle. Piper kept her footing, Alex didn't. But she managed to hook her hands against the material of Piper's shirt as her feet slid out from under her and they both went crashing to the ground.

At some point (Piper wasn't sure when) she had begun to laugh. Alex groaned lightly before bursting into another round of laughter and neither of them paid any mind to the fact that they were practically laying on top of each other as they dissolved into a fit of giggles amid the puddles of paint on the floor. It didn't last long though.

"_WHO is responsible for this_!?" A loud voice suddenly bellowed from the doorway. Shit.

Alex and Piper froze as forty pairs of eyes slowly turned to locate them.

"Principal's office. _NOW_!"

.

They fidgeted silently before their principal, somehow finding the grace to look repentant, as he scolded them both for their less than amicable behavior. He released them to detention with a sigh before calling out to Piper as they made for the door. Alex paused with her momentarily as she turned back to face him.

"I expected better from you." He said. And the smile that had been alight at the corner of Piper's eyes finally faded.

She nodded slowly, ducking her head and slipping out behind Alex as they exited the room in silence.

.

The teacher sat with them for all of twelve minutes before making some excuse about copies (interspersed with a light forewarning about talking and staying in their seats) and slipping away to the teachers lounge.

Piper kept her head down, studying the cracking paint on her hands in silence. Alex watched her thoughtfully, mind churning with the principal's parting words and the way that grin she had worked so hard to pull from Piper's eyes faded away quietly.

"Sorry about tarnishing your record, kid."

Piper picked absently at the paint on her hands, nodding. There was a foreign tenderness to Alex's voice, as if for once in her life she meant it and wasn't just mocking Piper's uncontrollable need to be perfect.

"Listen." Alex began, somewhat hesitantly. As if she were a traveler about to enter foreign territory. "I know I give you a lot of shit for being a goody two shoes, or whatever... but I really am sorry. I know it means a lot to you. Your reputation. I didn't mean to fuck that up."

"It's not your fault." Piper murmured softly, finally engaging, and Alex lifted her head to watch her once more. "I'm the one who started it. I threw first paint."

Alex huffed out a quiet laugh, as Piper's gaze rose to meet her own, the faintest beginnings of a smile touching her lips once more before fading away again.

"I just..." She sighed, returning her attention to hands.

Alex watched her silently a moment longer before leaning forward and placing her hand under the younger girl's chin. "Hey."

Piper's gaze quickly flicked back to her and their eyes locked. Alex's thumb stroked lightly against a swatch of red on her jaw as they studied each other. Her blue eyes shown with something soft and gentle and Alex found herself absolutely enraptured by it as she held Piper's face in her hand.

"I think you're the most beautiful painting I've ever seen." She whispered softly, watching closely the faint light in Piper's gaze.

The younger girl's lips parted slightly, her eyebrows rising imperceptibly in soft shock at Alex's hushed words, and Alex couldn't help herself leaning forward and capturing that soft mouth in a gentle kiss. Piper's eyes fell closed. It was brief, nothing more than a gentle caress of lips, before Alex was pulling away to rest their foreheads together.

"I think... you might be the most beautiful painting I've ever seen too." Piper murmured softly.

Their eyes opened and their gazes met once more, and Alex found herself smiling a genuine smile as Piper's face slowly lit up once again with that soft glowing happiness. And she quietly corrected herself, deciding that _now_ Piper Chapman was _undoubtedly_ the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

* * *

><p>A short one. I just needed to write something.<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

**based loosely on:**_ (Imagine your OTP in a world where if your soulmate is harmed in any way, you get harmed in the same way. Person A cuts themselves, believing they'll never find their soulmate. Person B finds marks all over their arms and panics in the realization that their soulmate is cutting themselves. What happens beyond there is up to you.)_

* * *

><p>She's self destructive. She's always been.<p>

Though it never manifested physically until Tiffany Doggett told her she wasn't worthy of anyone's love.

She was the type of person to go out and get blind drunk and follow someone she barely knew home. The type of person who'd crawl from a strange bed before the sun could rise, amid a raging hangover, and slip quietly back into the night before the other occupant could catch her presence (before she could turn and glance at them herself, because she could better convince herself they weren't real if she never looked). She had her own collection of hazy nights, blurred encounters, forgotten chunks of memories, and discarded bed mates. And it had been enough. Until Tiffany Doggett.

The first time Piper Chapman indirectly destroyed herself had been both terrifying and exhilarating. Tiffany's bleeding face contorting painfully under the blows of her rawing fists. Tiffany's weak and gnarly teeth scattering across the snow amid the spraying blood, embedding themselves in Piper's slowly reddening knuckles. Tiffany's gurgled words dying softly under the heavy thud, thud, thud, of Piper's relentless blows.

She'd been expelled from boarding school that day.

And maybe somewhere along the line she'd begun to believe Tiffany was right.

(She was just never sure if it had been something she'd known all along or something Tiffany finally helped her realize.)

She channeled her self destruction into physical outlets after that.

Sometimes she'd hit walls. Her fist connecting with the solidity of the wall with a satisfying crack as her knuckles threaten to break, smears of blood growing more pronounced against the bland brick as she continues to drive her fist against it again and again and again. Sometimes she'd hit punching bags. A smile flitting across her face as it sways backwards, recoiling from her attack, recoiling from her power, recoiling from her _presence_. Sometimes she'd hit people. Bruises flowering across the faces of now former lovers, noses crunching satisfyingly as hopeful suitors jerk away with shocked exclamations, and Tiffany Doggett's face swimming before her eyes as she hits and hits and hits until once again Piper Chapman is _alone_.

The scars on her knuckles split open sometimes and she eyes them idly in the aftermath of her implosion. _If I had a soulmate they'd be looking at these same knuckles_. But Piper knows she doesn't. Because Piper's not worthy of anyone's love.

She meets Alex by mistake. Or by chance. Depending on how you look at it. Depending on who you ask.

She's in a bar nursing her fourth drink (_fifth? sixth?_), lazily debating whether or not she'd spend the night in her own bed or someone else's when he approaches. This man. This man who's been eyeing her all night. This man who she'd written off an hour ago and yet here he stands, before her once again. She doesn't listen to what he says. She's heard it all already. She's already passed her judgement on him. But he continues on anyway, eventually dropping a palm to her arm. She tenses under his grip and he tightens it slightly. He's attempting to ease her out of her seat and her knuckles are slowly curling into fists when _she_ appears.

"There a problem here?" She asks smoothly, placing herself between Piper and the man. Allowing Piper a moment to catch her breath, relax her muscles, soothe her anger. She doesn't catch the rest of the conversation just knows that the man is soon walking away and _she_ is turning to face her.

"Sorry about that," she husks warmly, "you looked like you could use a hand."

"Thanks." Piper slurs. She moves to pull herself from her seat, stumbling slightly in the process and _her_ hand darts out to steady her.

"Woah there, you okay?"

And Piper eyes her a moment. She'd settled for spending the night in her own bed the moment that man's palm landed on her arm, but now she's reconsidering as she studies the tall brunette.

"Yeah. Thanks." She straightens. Meets her eyes. Turns on the charm. "What's you name?"

The brunette's eyebrow raises, a smirk tugs at her lips. "My name's Alex."

"Piper."

"Well, Piper..." Alex chuckles warmly and Piper leans a little closer. "I think maybe we should get you a cab."

"Mmmm..." Piper hums giddily as Alex leads them from the crowded bar.

It doesn't take long for the cab to arrive and Alex settles her in before withdrawing. Piper grabs her jacket as she moves to retreat. "Wait. Aren't you coming with me?"

Alex regards her thoughtfully for a moment. "As much as I'd love to take you up on that offer, you are somewhat wasted and I'd be no better than the asshole I just pulled off you if I did."

"But I want you to." Piper murmurs, leaning into her once again. And Alex sighs softly. "You have to at least see me home."

She relents, casting a gaze around the empty sidewalk before climbing in behind her. And maybe she was right and Piper's drunker than she thought, because she's curling against the woman before she can stop herself. Her head falling to Alex's shoulder. And Alex lifts a hand to run gently through her hair. They're silent as the city passes on around them. Eventually Piper shifts and her hand falls against Alex's lap, brushes against her thigh. Alex's gaze tracks it, and her free hand rises to capture it.

Alex's breath catches in her throat when she catches a glimpse of Piper's knuckles. Piper mistakes it for shock. Fear. _Disgust_. She pulls her hand back, tugs the sleeves of her shirt over them. But Alex catches her wrists. Stills her hands. Traces her scars.

"_It's you_." She whispers softly, breathlessly, and Piper tenses under her gaze, under her grip.

"_Don't_." Piper warns quietly, snatching her hand back. And Alex catches her again as she tries to retreat.

"_Piper_." Awe.

And Piper begins to tremble, her knuckles itch to become fists. Alex's eyes rise to meet hers and it's more than she can take.

"Stop the car." She's quiet at first, barely restrained emotions warring under her skin, under Alex's gaze.

"What? The cab driver asks. They're still several blocks from her apartment.

"STOP THE CAR."

He pulls over abruptly at her outburst and she hurls herself from the car before it's even fully stopped. She's halfway down the block before Alex catches up with her once more. She's calling her name. Piper keeps walking. She grabs her wrist. Piper spins, fist poised, and Alex retreats, hands raised in silent surrender.

"_Piper_." She pushes. _Pleads_.

"_What?_" Piper hisses.

"You're... I... you're my soulmate." She stutters.

Piper freezes, eyeing her angrily. (_She's mocking me. How dare she. After all she's done tonight._) "I don't have a soultmate."

"Piper." She takes a step forward, Piper's fists clench, she stops. "_Look_."

She lowers her hands, rolls up her sleeves, presents her knuckles. Scarred. _Familiar_.

And Piper falters. Shakes her head. Steps back.

"No. I-" Her eyes dart around helplessly. She's drunk. It's late. She's confused. Alex is wrong. She must be. She doesn't have a soulmate. "Leave me alone."

She turns to leave, she needs to get home, she needs to bury herself in her bed, she needs to _forget_. This night. This woman. This bad dream.

But Alex is persistent, and she takes another step forward as Piper retreats. "Wait!" Piper pauses. "At least let me walk you home. I promised I'd see you home. At least let me keep my word."

Piper eyes her wearily, already knowing she's powerless to deny this woman.

"Fine." She turns again, begins walking toward her home. "But don't... touch me."

Alex follows.

She spends the night on Piper's couch.

It takes her awhile to trust Alex. Even longer to become comfortable with her. But Alex is patient. And Alex is kind.

She lets Piper set the pace. She lets Piper call the shots. She lets Piper decide when they've spent enough time together and when they need to see each other. She lets Piper decide what sort of relationship it's going to be, and gradually Piper begins to open up. They've known each other several months when Piper eventually self destructs once again. Alex had been out of town, a three day business trip, when the scars of her knuckles begin to split open.

She calls Piper immediately, excusing herself from the conversation, stepping away from the noise of the bar.

It takes seven tries before she finally gets an answer. A text message. One word. _Stop_.

Alex calls her forty seven times that night, before Piper finally answers. It's nearing three in the morning and she's all but called a taxi, prepared to end her trip early, prepared to travel through the night, prepared to scour the entire city in search of Piper Chapman.

She's taken aback at first, falters slightly as the repetitive ringing finally clicks away. Silence.

"_Piper_?" She whispers hesitantly, as if speaking too loudly, too suddenly might scare her off, sever their connection, as if she's some wild animal, apt to flee at any moment. "_Pipes_?"

A sigh. (And Alex releases a heavy breath from her own lungs.)

They sit in silence for a moment, Alex finally sinking to the bed. Her room is dark. She'd lost track of the time somewhere amid her haste to reach Piper. Her head hangs heavy as she runs a hand through her hair, the sounds of their soft breathing filling the silence. The only tell that they were both there, both connected, both _alive_.

"What happened?" Alex finally whispers. And Piper sighs again (heavier, wetter). "_Piper_." She pleads.

"_I'm sorry_." She finally whispers.

"Are you okay?" Alex asks desperately. Willing herself to remain calm, to stay gentle.

A soft rustle drifts down the line as Piper nods, remembers Alex can't see her, "_Yes_."

"I'm coming home." Alex murmurs.

"You can't."

"I am."

"Alex, you _can't_. You can't just drop everything because of me."

"_Piper_." She sighs heavily. Tiredly. "I'm not dropping everything. I'm done here. We closed the deal earlier tonight. I'm coming home."

They fell silent once more. Listening to the soft huffs of each other's breath.

"You can't coddle me, Alex." Piper eventually murmurs. "You can't put your life on hold every time I get hurt."

And Alex squeezes her eyes shut as she moves to recline against the bed. "But I can be there to stop it."

And Piper's voice is soft. "_You can't stop it_."

They listen to each other's breathing for awhile. In two separate beds, in two dark rooms, in two separate places. Eventually Piper speaks again.

"Alex?"

"Yeah?" Their voices barely more than whispers.

"Don't hang up."

"I won't, kid."

Eventually they fall asleep. The steady tide of one another's gentle breathing drifting softly through their ears.

And when Alex returns home her sleepovers no longer include sleeping on the couch.

And her visits to Piper's apartment become longer and longer stays.

And Piper's no longer sure that she can sleep without the steady tide of Alex's breathing anymore.

They're somewhere between six months and a year when Piper finally decides what she wants.

She'd had another meltdown. Alex had pulled her struggling from a bar, into a side alley, stood silently as she directed her rage against the brick of the next building. The wounds of their knuckles splitting open once again, trails of red running down their hands. Eventually Piper relents. Sinks against the still standing wall, her back turned to Alex.

"Are you done?" Alex murmurs quietly.

Silence.

Alex sighs softly, ready to wait for Piper to gather herself.

"Why do you do this?" Piper's voice is soft when she speaks. Barely audible over the hum of the city.

Alex eyes her confusedly. "Do what?"

"_This_. Why do you do it. Why do you put it up with it. Why do you put up with _me_?"

"I love you."

Piper stiffens against the wall. "No you don't."

"_Yes_, I _do_."

Her fists clench and her eyes squeeze shut and she can _feel_ Alex behind her and it reignites the burning anger she'd just tampered down.

She whirls to face the other woman.

"_No you don't_!"

"Yes I do, Piper." Exasperation. She's tired. But she reigns herself in. Her next words are gentler. "You're my soulmate."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are, why do you keep saying that?" She's struggling to keep her patience. But it's been nearly a year and she doesn't know what else to do to prove that she loves her. To prove that she means it. And it hurts like a bitch every time Piper denies it. Denies _her_.

"Because I don't have a soulmate! I'm not worthy of anyone's love!"

"What?" She's taken aback, she needs to pause, they need to reexamine that, but Piper's striding forward.

"You _insist_ on hanging around and pretending to care and saying you _love_ me, Alex, but you _don't_! You _don't_! And I'm tired of it. I'm tired of _you_. Leave me, the _fuck_, alone!" She shoves her.

Alex stumbles backward, shocked at Piper's sudden display of aggression. She'd seen her at her most violent but never directed at _her_.

She shoves her again and Alex's hands raise to grasp her arms. "_Stop it!_"

But Piper doesn't. She struggles harder against Alex's grip. Frees a fist. Slams it against Alex's jaw.

They fall apart abruptly, gasping.

It's silent as they stumble to opposite sides of the small alleyway. The only sounds the hum of the city around them and their heaving lungs as they attempt to recapture their breath. Alex rubs her jaw as she struggles to comprehend what just happened. Slowly she raises her gaze to the the other side of the alley where Piper stood, leaning against the wall. Her fingers tracing her own jaw lightly, a look of shocked confusion on her face. Alex pushes off her own wall, eyeing the blonde silently as she works through her shock. Faint beginnings of a bruise blossoming under her shaking fingers.

"I..."

Alex swallows heavily. Piper's gaze finally meets hers.

She waits.

Eventually Piper comes to her.

They travel back to Piper's apartment in silence. (But they haven't stopped touching since the alleyway.)

Piper had stepped into her arms, buried her face against Alex's neck. Alex had taken Piper's hand, led her quietly to the street. Piper had curled against her, dropped her head to Alex's shoulder as they settled into the taxi. And Alex had raised her hand, tangled her fingers through Piper's hair as the city passed by around them. They took their coats and shoes off silently at the door. Led one another down the hall to the bathroom. And Alex ran a bath as Piper stood behind her, her arms around her waist, face buried against the back of her neck.

Alex undressed her slowly, helping her gently into the tub, and Piper's hand remained fisted against Alex's forearm until she was sure she wasn't going to leave.

She bathed in silence. Alex washed her hair. Traced her neck. Kissed her shoulder.

Wrapped her in the biggest towel she had when she pulled her from the cooling water.

They made their way to the bedroom quietly, and curled into each other on the same pillow. Their faces inches apart. Piper nuzzled her face against Alex's, struggling to gain control of all the emotions threatening to overtake her for the last several hours. And Alex holds her.

It's late when they finally begin talking. The bedroom has grown dark. Alex had begun wondering if Piper had finally fallen to sleep when she speaks into the thick blanketing darkness.

"I thought that..." She falters. "I wasn't supposed to have a soulmate."

Alex tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, fingers lingering against her cheek. Her thumb brushes softly.

"_Why_ would you ever think that? _Who_ told you you weren't worthy of anyone's love?"

Piper's vision swims before her as she works to make out Alex's face in the darkness, drops her gaze to the hand curled under Alex's cheek.

Alex's thumb continues to trace against her face. "I meant it... when I said I loved you, Piper. I've been waiting for you my entire life. Every time a new scar wove across my knuckles. Every time those old wounds split open again. I'd _pray_ that you were okay. That you were safe. That you were aching for me as much as I was aching for you."

"But I've never felt _you_." Piper whispers hoarsely, eyes still tracing the scars of Alex's knuckles.

"Because I could never bring myself to inflict anymore harm on you than what you were already carrying." Alex whispers.

And Piper draws a shaky breath before pushing herself across the pillow and into Alex, capturing her lips with her own.

And Piper begins to cry.

And for the first time since Tiffany Doggett told her she wasn't worthy of anyone's love, Piper began to think that maybe she _is_.

* * *

><p>Because I have a thing for self destructive Piper. I didn't really intend for it to be this long and I wasn't even sure it was an idea I was going to complete and publish at all, but I started writing this three hours ago and it all just sort of came pouring out. (Also, the whole boarding school"unworthy of love"/fight scenario of Piper's past features in another, longer story I'm working on and it somehow worked it's way into this one before I could stop it. So this is a preemptive warning if you happen to recognize that plot detail in something else I write somewhere down the line and want to accuse me of being lazy and uncreative. It's fine. You're completely allowed to.) **/** I also want you guys to know that I've just finished rereading through all your comments and reviews and they absolutely slay me. Seriously, thank you so much for the continued support and the enthusiastic reviews. They never fail to make me grin like an idiot.


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